Castle, Guy W.S.
Guy Wilkinson Stuart Castle was born on 8 February 1879 in Portage, Wisconsin. He was appointed from that state to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in July 1901. As a Naval Cadet and Midshipman, Castle served in the receiving ship Independence, armored cruiser Brooklyn, battleship Kentucky, and the gunboats Monocacy and Vicksburg, in which he was commissioned an Ensign in June 1903. Beginning in mid-1904 he was an officer in the cruiser Chicago and the supply ship Celtic, receiving promotion to Lieutenant in mid-1906. During 1907-1908, Castle commanded the submarines Plunger and Shark, had duty in the submarine Pike and, upon reporting to the Naval Station, Cavite, Philippines, helped to fit out the submarines Porpoise and Shark after they had been transported to the Asiatic Station.
From August 1909 to August 1910, Lieutenant Castle served in the battleships Ohio and New Jersey, then received orders to the Naval Academy. Returning to sea duty in June 1913, he served on board USS Utah. During the intervention at Vera Cruz, Mexico on 21-22 April 1914, Castle courageously led that battleship's landing force in the fight to seize the customhouse. For his "distinguished conduct in battle," he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Later in 1914 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. In May 1916, Castle reported to the Bureau of Steam Engineering in Washington, D.C., where he would serve during World War I and be promoted to Commander in August 1917. At the end of November 1918, he was placed in command of the transport Martha Washington. He died on board that ship on 10 August 1919. Guy W. S. Castle is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
The destroyer Castle (DD-720), which was scrapped incomplete in 1955, was named in honor of Commander Guy W. S. Castle.
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