William S. Pye - Career Through World War I

Career Through World War I

Pye was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 9 June 1880. Entering the United States Naval Academy in 1897, he graduated in 1901 and was commissioned an Ensign in June 1903. From 1901 through 1915, he served in several ships, among them five battleships and an armored cruiser, and was also assigned to the staffs of the Naval Academy and Naval War College. In 1915–1916 he placed the new destroyer USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) into commission, commanding her until early 1917, when he joined the staff of the Atlantic Fleet's Commander in Chief. He served in that position through the First World War, receiving the Navy Cross for "for exceptionally distinguished and valuable service on the staff of the commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, in addition to excellent performance of his routine staff duties in preparing a series of orders for the conduct of battleship and fleet, based upon the best thought and experience of the United States fleet and British fleet during the late war.".