20 MAR 2019
FM: CHDIRAUX
TO: ALAUX
ALAUX 004/19
SUBJ: USS TAMPA PURPLE HEART CAMPAIGN
1. The U.S. Coast Guard needs help locating
and contacting descendants of the USS TAMPA, which was tragically sunk
during World War I with all hands lost. Last year marked the 100th
Anniversary of the loss of the USS TAMPA and her Coast Guard crew.
The Service has yet to present 84 of the outstanding Purple Heart Medals
awarded posthumously to the crew, and it needs to bring closure through
this important effort.
2. There is an immediate goal of recognizing
as many of the descendants as possible by this Memorial Day. The
Coast Guard is requesting the Auxiliary's assistance to do this.
All Auxiliarists are encouraged to read ALCOAST 062/19 below which provides
background, and also check out the list of USS TAMPA crewmembers whose
descendants have yet to be identified for receipt of the Purple Heart Medal
at https://www.history.uscg.mil/tampa.
3. If you are aware of a descendant of
any of these USS TAMPA crewmembers, please contact as soon as possible:
Ms. Nora L. Chidlow, Archivist, United
States Coast Guard Historian's Office
(202) 559-5142
Nora.L.Chidlow@uscg.mil
________________________________________
R 261000 FEB 19
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-092//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N05700//
ALCOAST 062/19
COMDTNOTE 5700
SUBJ: USS TAMPA PURPLE HEART MEDAL
CAMPAIGN
1. The U.S. Coast Guard needs your help
with locating and contacting descendants of the USS TAMPA, which was tragically
sunk during World War I with all hands lost. The Service has yet to present
84 of the outstanding Purple Heart Medals awarded posthumously to the crew.
We intend to recognize as many of the descendants as possible this Memorial
Day. We need your help to do this.
2. Background:
A. USS TAMPA, a Coast Guard
ship and crew serving under the Department of the Navy, was lost with all
hands after being torpedoed by a German U-boat off Wales on 26 September
1918. This tragic loss occurred just weeks before the end of World War
I. It was the single largest loss suffered by the Coast Guard during that
conflict.
B. At the time of TAMPA’s
loss, the Purple Heart Medal was not in use. In 1942, eligibility was extended
to include the Coast Guard, but it was not until 1952 that the awarding
of the Purple Heart Medal was made retroactive for actions after 5 April
1917. However, TAMPA was overlooked until 1999, when a retired Coast Guardsman
submitted a proposal to award the Purple Heart to her crew.
C. In 1999, then-Commandant
Admiral James Loy authorized the posthumous awarding of the Purple Heart
Medal to the crew of USS TAMPA. Today, over one hundred years after TAMPA
was lost and twenty years after the first TAMPA Purple Heart was awarded,
the Coast Guard is still attempting to identify those families who have
yet to receive their ancestors’ Purple Heart.
3. The purpose of this ALCOAST is to raise
awareness of the Purple Heart award program and to continue to identify
those families who have yet to receive their ancestors’ medals. You can
help.
4. Summary of USS TAMPA Purple Heart Medals
awarded:
A. There were 130 men on
TAMPA, including 111 Coast Guardsmen and 4 Navy men.
B. 26 TAMPA Purple Heart
Medals have been claimed since 1999.
C. 3 TAMPA Purple Heart Medals
are presently in progress.
D. 84 TAMPA Purple Heart
Medals remain unclaimed.
5. The names of the 84 TAMPA crew whose
Purple Heart Medals remain unclaimed are listed here: https://www.history.uscg.mil/tampa.
6. To submit applications for TAMPA Purple
Heart Medals, please contact Ms. Nora Chidlow, Coast Guard Archivist, at
Nora.L.Chidlow@uscg.mil
or 202-559-5142. She has served as the primary point of contact between
the Coast Guard and many TAMPA descendants, and also with the Medals &
Awards branch.
7. To apply for their ancestor’s Purple
Heart Medal, descendants are required to provide documentation showing
the descendant’s relationship to the TAMPA crew member, such as family
trees, pages from family Bibles, birth/death certificates, and/or pages
from Ancestry or other genealogical applications. Please expect about 4-6
weeks’ time for processing.
8. I encourage all members of our Coast
Guard family to share this ALCOAST with the widest possible audience. We
owe it to our shipmates in USS TAMPA and their descendants to ensure their
heroism and sacrifice are recognized and remembered.
9. RDML Melissa Bert, Director of Governmental
and Public Affairs, sends.
10. Internet release is authorized. |