William S . Pye Vice Admiral William Satterlee Pye , United States Navy , ( 9 June 1880 – 4 May 1959 ) was aa Admiral in the U . S . Navy who served in World Wars I and II . His last active - duty appointment was as President of the Naval War College , in 1942 – 1945 . His awards included the Navy Cross for his service in 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 battleship s 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 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 . " . Interwar years . Pye was on duty with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations during 1919 – 1921 , and was Executive Officer of the battleship " Pennsylvania " in 1922 – 1923 . After briefly commanding a destroyer squadron , he returned to Washington , D . C . , for further Navy Department service that lasted into 1927 . In the next five years , he commanded the minelayer USS " Oglala " ( CM - 4 ) , had more Navy Department duty and was head of the U . S . Naval Mission to Peru . Captain Pye was Commanding Officer of the battleship USS " Nevada " ( BB - 36 ) in 1932 – 1933 . Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral , Pye served as Chief of Staff to Commander Scouting Force , attended the Naval War College , had further Navy Department service , and was Commander Destroyers in both the Scouting Force and Battle Force . With the temporary rank of Vice Admiral , he was Commander Battleships , Battle Force in 1940 and Commander Battle Force in 1941 . World War II and post - war years . Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and the subsequent relief of Admiral Husband E . Kimmel , Vice Admiral Pye was Acting Commander in Chief of the U . S . Pacific Fleet from 17 December until 31 December 1941 . His major action in this position was to send a relief force built around the USS " Saratoga " to the aid of Wake Island . In a controversial decision , Pye recalled the relief force on 22 December after reports of additional landings on the island - for fear of losses . After relinquishing command of the Pacific Fleet to Admiral Chester W . Nimitz , Pye became the commander of Task Force One , comprising the remaining operational battleships in the Pacific fleet , based in San Francisco . Pye ordered this force to sortie to patrol the West Coast during the Battle of Midway , as a precaution against a possible Japanese attack in that area . His fears proved unfounded and Task Force One remained on training and patrol duties between Hawaii and the West Coast until Pye was relieved in October 1942 . After Wake Island and Midway , he never commanded operating forces again . Vice Admiral Pye then became President of the Naval War College and simultaneously commanded the Naval Operating Base , Newport , Rhode Island . Though he officially retired in July 1944 , he remained on as War College President until relieved of active duty in December 1945 . Vice Admiral William S . Pye died at Bethesda , Maryland , on 4 May 1959 . He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery .