Williston Lamar Dye

Williston Lamar Dye, (June 13, 1906 - June 27, 1981) was an American Captain in the United States Navy. He participated in the U.S. Navy gunboat patrols on the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers in China in the early 1930's. As a LT Commander aboard the he was the head of communications for Destroyer Squadron 6, part of Task Force 8, providing screening for the carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet out of Pearl Harbor. Aboard the destroyer USS Balch (DD 363) he participated in the bombardment of Tarawa Island and the Marshall Islands in February 1942 and widespread screening, patrolling, and fire support during the Wake Island raid of February 24, 1942. He provided escort for the USS Hornet for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. In June 1942 Dye played a critical role in the battle of Midway as chief communications officer for the entire destroyer battle group while aboard the USS Balch. The Balch rescued the crew (545 men) from the damaged USS Yorktown that had ordered abandon ship at the height of the battle. Dye participated in minesweeping operations in the Yellow Sea, Japan in 1945. During the Korean War as Captain of the USS Leo he took part in the Wonsan landings.
Early life
Raised in Garrett Park, Maryland, Dye traveled by train to high school at Central High in Washington, D.C. He left school for a year to travel to Haiti to be with his father Major Leon Lamar Dye, USMC who was stationed there with the U.S. Marines to support the counterinsurgency. Upon his return in 1925 he received an at-large appointment to the United States Naval Academy where he lettered in tennis and water polo, graduating and receiving his commission as an Ensign in 1929.
Navy career
In addition to his World War II and Korean War participation, Dye completed his post-graduate work at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School in Annapolis, Maryland from 1936-1938. From 1942-1944, Dye was an instructor of communications at the school. He became head of the communications department from 1947-1949. The U.S. Naval Post Graduate School relocated to Monterey, California, where Dye became Director of the General Line and Management School from 1956-1957. He was head of the ships plans section under the Chief of Naval Operations and head of logistics war plans from 1952-1954. During this time he was designated U.S. Naval Attaché to NATO in Paris.
Second career
After a 35-year Navy career Dye became a successful investment broker with Harris Upham, subsequently Smith Barney. His many friendships in from his Naval career provided him with ample clients who placed their trust in him. At one point he was the only broker with Smith Barney registered to buy and sell securities in all 50 states.
Personal life
While stationed at Pearl Harbor a few months before the attack on December 7, 1941 he met a U.S. Navy Nurse, Margaret Morgan Swann of Piney Point, Maryland while going through his annual physical. Once they realized they were both from Maryland a conversation began. They dated a number of times, particularly to go and see Hilo Hattie, the entertainer of the day. They made a date for the night of December 6 On the days prior to the attack Dye's ship the USS Balch was 200 miles away searching for the Japanese with all of Admiral Bill (Bull) Halsey's Task Force 8. They were due to return on December 6 when a storm delayed the return. Thus, the date never happened. Upon his return to Pearl Harbor after the battle of Midway, Dye took leave to go to San Francisco where he encountered nurse Swann at the nurse's quarters in Oakland. A day later they borrowed a car and drove to Reno, Nevada and were married July 2, 1942. Together they raised three children.
Death
Dye remained at Smith Barney Harris Upham until his death on June 27, 1981 at age 75. He was interred on June 31, 1981 in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors near his parents. His wife of 39 years, Margaret S. Dye (1913-2012) is buried with him. The [https://billiongraves.com/grave/Williston-Lamar-Dye/11597822#/ gravestone] is engraved with the United States Naval Academy seal and the seal of the United States Navy Nurse Corps.
Quote
"Always get to be the communications guy, that way you get all the good and bad news first."

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