WILLIAM S. PYE, JR., LT, USN
William Pye, Jr. '28
Date of birth: January 19, 1908
Date of death: September 30, 1938
Age: 30
Lucky Bag
From the 1928 Lucky Bag:
Loss
From Find A Grave:
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) W. S. Pye, USN, was designated Naval Aviator #3709 in 1930. Graduated U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1928.
Lieutenant Pye and Aviation Cadet Charles Frederick Erickson, USNR, members of Fighting Squadron (VF) Three, died when their carrier-based fighter aircraft, operating from the aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA (CV-3), collided off the So. Calif. coast. LT Pye's body was never recovered.
LT Pye's widow was the former Miss Della Douglass Pease.
William has a memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery, with his brother, on their parent's headstone.
Family
William's father was a Vice Admiral and 1901 US Naval Academy graduate who retired with 44 years of service, including acting Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet and president of the Naval War College.
Related Articles
His brother, John Pye '39, was lost in January 1945 when USS Swordfish (SS 193) was sunk in combat.
Class of 1928
William is one of 17 members of the Class of 1928 in Memorial Hall.