Walter E. Reno

Walter Elsworth Reno (October 3, 1881 – November 19, 1917) was an officer in the United States Navy. He died while on convoy duty in World War I, when his ship was accidentally rammed by a British vessel.

Life and naval career
Born in Davis County, Iowa, Reno entered the Naval Academy in 1901 and graduated in 1905. While a junior officer, Reno served primarily in battleships. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1910 and during the next four years was stationed in the battleships USS New Jersey (BB-16) and USS Wisconsin (BB-9). From early 1914 until early 1916 he was Officer in Charge at the Chicago, Illinois, Navy Recruiting Station.

Lieutenant Reno then went out to the Philippines, where he took command of the destroyer USS Chauncey (DD-3). In the Summer of 1917, after United States had entered World War I, Reno brought his ship from the Far East to the European war zone. While on convoy escort duty west of Gibraltar during the night of November 19, 1917, Chauncey was rammed by British merchantman Rose and sank, taking with her Lieutenant Commander Reno and twenty of his ship's officers and men.

Reno was awarded the Navy Cross "for exceptionally distinguished service in the line of his profession in command of the U.S.S. Chauncey in making the trip of 11,000 miles from Manila, P. I., to Gibraltar, under very unfavorable weather conditions".