Historic Nimitz House under the Bay Bridge, a once-regal venue, becoming a forgotten footnote

Thousands of commuters cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge every day, but few realize that beneath its eastern span lies a piece of military history: the last residence of Admiral Chester Nimitz, architect of America's victory in the Pacific during World War II.

Nestled on the edge of Yerba Buena Island, hidden under the noisy freeway, stands a three-story mansion known as the Nimitz House. Rear Admiral John Bitoff, who lived there from 1989 to 1992 while overseeing logistics for the Pacific Fleet, recalls the honor of calling it home.

"It was an honor and a pleasure," Bitoff said. "I would sometimes walk through this home and wonder who sat there and what was the occasion."

The Nimitz House mansion under the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge KPIX

Bitoff often entertained milit