View source for William Christian Asserson

{{CaptUS}} '''William Christian Asserson''', (21 August, 1875 &ndash; 8 July, 1939) served in the [[United States Navy]].  He was the son of Rear Admiral [[Peter Christian Asserson]].

==Life & Career==
Asserson was born in Virginia, where his father, who had commanded gunboats during the Civil War as an Acting {{EnsUS}}, served as a commissioned Civil Engineer with the Navy. Asserson was appointed to the Naval Academy from New York, following his father's transfer to the [[New York Navy Yard]], and graduated with the Class of 1897.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_C._Assersen Wikipedia]</ref>

After seeing action aboard {{US-Iowa|f=t}} at the [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]] in 1898, Asserson had a normal rotation of sea and shore duty early in his career and received the usual early promotions. He was commissioned {{EnsUS}} on 1 July, 1899, and was promoted to the rank of {{LtJGUS}} on 1 July, 1902, to the rank of {{LieutUS}} on 1 January, 1904, and to the rank of {{LCommUS}} on 9 January, 1910.{{USOfficerReg1900|pp. 38-39}}{{USOfficerReg1903|pp. 34-35}}{{USOfficerReg1905|pp. 34-35}}{{USOfficerReg1911|pp. 24-25}}

Asserson served as Executive Officer of {{US-Birmingham|f=t}} in 1911 and in the same role on {{US-Montana|f=t}} in 1916. He was promoted to the rank of {{CommUS}} on 29 August, 1916,and in early 1917 was appointed to command {{US-Castine|f=t}}, retaining this command until mid-1918 and being awarded the Navy Cross for his wartime service.{{USOfficerReg1911|p. 231}}{{USOfficerReg1917|pp. 18-19}}<ref>''Navy Directory'' 1 March 1918 p. 7.</ref>

Asserson was promoted to the temporary rank of {{CaptUS}} on 1 July, 1918. By the end of the war, he was Chief of Staff of the Navy's Gibraltar-based patrol craft.{{USOfficerReg1919|pp. 18-19}} 

Asserson was promoted to the permanent rank of {{CaptUS}} on 3 June, 1921. In 1922, he commanded {{US-Olympia|f=t}},{{USOfficerReg1922|pp. 14-15}}<ref>''Evening Star'' (Washington, DC) 10 December, 1922 p. 19.</ref> and in 1923 he was appointed the first commanding officer of {{US-Milwaukee|f=t}}.{{USOfficerReg1924|pp. 16-17}}

He commanded {{US-Idaho|f=t}} from 1927 to 1929 but, having been passed over for further promotion, finished his career ashore before being placed on the Retired List on 30 June, 1932.{{USOfficerReg1928|p. 12}}{{USOfficerReg1930|pp. 12-13}}{{USOfficerReg1933|pp. 392, 481}}

Asserson died in Augusta, GA in 1939.<ref>''Atlanta Constitution'' 9 July, 1939 p. 15.</ref> His son of the same name enjoyed a long career in Naval Aviation and also retired as a {{CaptUS}}.

==See Also==
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{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Christian_Asserson}}
{{refend}}

==Bibliography==
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<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Fred Fremont Rogers|Fred F. Rogers]]'''|'''[[U.S.S. Castine (1892)|Captain of U.S.S. ''Castine'']]'''<br>Feb, 1917 &ndash; after 1 Mar, 1918<ref>''Navy Directory'' 1 March, 1918 p. 7.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Randolph Ridgely, Jr.|Randolph Ridgely, Jr.]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Lake Wyman|Henry L. Wyman]]'''|'''[[U.S.S. Olympia (1892)|Captain of U.S.S. ''Olympia'']]'''<br>Jan, 1922{{USOfficerReg1922|pp. 14-15}} &ndash; Dec, 1922<ref>''Evening Star'' (Washington, DC) 10 December, 1922 p. 19.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''?'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[U.S.S. Milwaukee (1921)|Captain of U.S.S. ''Milwaukee'']]'''<br>20 Jun, 1923{{USOfficerReg1924|pp. 14-15}} &ndash; 6 Jun, 1924{{USOfficerReg1924|pp. 14-15}}{{USOfficerReg1925|pp. 14-15}}{{INF}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frank Lucius Pinney|Frank L. Pinney]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Walter Selwyn Crosley|Walter S. Crosley]]'''|'''[[U.S.S. Idaho (1917)|Captain of U.S.S. ''Idaho'']]'''<br>23 May, 1927{{USOfficerReg1928|pp. 12-13}} &ndash; Jun, 1929{{USOfficerReg1930|pp. 12-13}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Lake Wyman|Henry L. Wyman]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Asserson, William Christian}}

{{CatPerson|US|1875|1939}}
{{CatCapt|US}}
{{CatUSNA|1897}}