Purple Heart awarded 93 years after ship sunk in WWI by German Sub

What started as research into a branch of the family tree culminated in a moving tribute to Diane Vess' great-grand uncle.

Vess, of Melbourne, accepted the Purple Heart medal on behalf of her relative, Charles Henry Klingelhoefer, killed more than 90 years ago when his ship, USCG Tampa, sank after being hit by a German submarine's torpedo off the coast of Wales.

Our news partners at Florida Today were there for monday's ceremony at Port Canaveral cruise terminal 4, with the current USCG Tampa as a backdrop.

"It was so exciting," she said after the ceremony attended by about 50 people, including crew members of the Tampa. Seven other family members also attended. "It was an honor."

The lives of 130 were lost the night of Sept. 26, 1918, as the Tampa was escorting a convoy from Gibraltar to Milford Haven, Wales through the Bristol Channel.

Based in Gibraltar, the Tampa was part of Squadron 3 of Division 6 of the Atlantic Fleet Patrol Forces. In a little more than a year, the Tampa escorted 18 convoys, comprising a total of 350 vessels, protecting them form submarine attacks.

For some reason, the Tampa sped out ahead of the convoy that night. At 8:45 p.m. a loud explosion was heard by people aboard the other ships, and later, when they arrived in port, the Tampa was missing. A search was started by U.S. destroyers and British patrol craft.

All they found were a few pieces of wreckage and two unidentifiable bodies in naval uniforms. It was the greatest single casualty incurred by any naval unit as a result of known enemy action during the war.

Vess, who retired from NASA, said her family knew nothing about the Tampa and little about Klingelhoefer until she had delved into her genealogy research.

"I've been doing this for about 20 years," she said. "All I knew is that he had died in World War I at sea."

As she researched and contacted other possible family members, she found someone who had a name very similar to Klingelhoefer, who in doing his own research had discovered that the Coast Guard wanted to make contact with descendants of Charles Henry Klingelhoefer.

Klingelhoefer, one of nine siblings, was born in Baltimore and lost his life at age 42. He was a warrant carpenter on board the Coast Guard cutter.

In 1999, the Coast Guard honored crew members whose descendants they could find. Their names are inscribed on a wall on a World War I Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

"They identified many of them but there were a handful, including Klingelhoefer," said Capt. Richard Kenin, chief of staff for the 7the Coast Guard District. "It was a long way around but we are happy that it was able to honor him."

The current USCG Tampa, based in Portsmouth, Va., came into Port Canaveral for the ceremony, which included color guards and the playing of the National Anthem. "It's heartening that this happened, to finally receive this for him," said Vess' sister, Denise Taylor.

In addition to the Purple Heart, Vess was presented with an American flag flown on the USCG Tampa.

"Thank you to the Coast Guard," Vess said. "It's real special accepting it."