Frederick Lois Riefkohl Rear Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl ( February 27 , 1889 – September 1969 ) , a native of Maunabo , Puerto Rico , was an officer in the United States Navy and the first Puerto Rican to graduate from the United States Naval Academy and to be awarded the Navy Cross . The Navy Cross is the second highest medal , after the Medal of Honor , that can be awarded by the U . S . Navy for heroism or distinguished service . He was a World War I Navy Cross recipient who served as Captain of the USS " Vincennes " during World War II . Early years . Riefkohl ( birth name : Luis Federico Riefkohl Jaimieson ) was born and raised in the town of Maunabo , Puerto Rico to Luis Riefkohl y Sandoz and Julia Jaimieson . His older brother was Rudolph W . Riefkohl , a Colonel in the United States Army Corps of Engineers , who played an instrumental role in helping the people of Poland overcome the 1919 typhus epidemic . His other siblings were Helen , Emily and Louise Riefkohl . Riefkohl received his primary and secondary education in the towns of Arroyo ; Christainsted , St . Croix , U . S . Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands and spent three and a half years at Phillips Andover Academy in Boston , Massachusetts . Riefkohl received an appointment on July 5 , 1907 , from Beekman Winthrop , the U . S . appointed governor of Puerto Rico from 1904 to 1907 , to attend the U . S . Naval Academy in Annapolis , Maryland . In 1911 , he became the first Puerto Rican to graduate from the Academy . During World War I , Lieutenant Riefkohl served as Commander of the Armed Guard of the USS " Philadelphia " and on August 2 , 1917 he was awarded the Navy Cross for engaging an enemy submarine . The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the U . S . Navy and is awarded to members of the U . S . Navy or U . S . Marine Corps for heroism or distinguished service . Navy Cross citation . Riefkohl , Frederick L . " Lieutenant , U . S . Navy " Armed Guard , U . S . S . Philadelphia " Date of Action : August 2 , 1917 " Citation : Pre - World War II . Riefkohl was re - assigned to the Fifteenth Naval District , Balboa , Canal Zone as District Communication Officer . From 1920 to 1923 , he served in various ships and in different positions , among which were Squadron Radio Officer for Destroyer Squadron 3 , Atlantic Fleet , Aide and Force Radio Officer on the Staff of Commander Destroyer Force , Atlantic Fleet and Executive Officer of the USS Preble en route to Asiatic Station . From August 1922 until October 1923 , Riefkohl served as Aide and Flag Secretary and Fleet Radio and Communication Officer to Commander in Chief , Asiatic Fleet . From July 1926 to August 1928 , he assumed command of the destroyer " USS Corry " . He returned to the Navy Yard , Brooklyn , New York , after a naval tour which included the ports of Port au Prince , Haiti ; Guantanamo Bay , Cuba ; San Juan , Puerto Rico ; and St . Thomas , Virgin Islands and served as Executive Officer of the USS Kittery until June 1929 . Riefkohl served as Chief of Staff to the governor of the Virgin Islands until April 30 , 1931 , when he became Commandant of the islands Naval Station . He continued to serve in various ships until he was placed in charge of the Navy Motion Picture Exchange , Navy Yard , New York , during his senior year at the Naval War College . From January 1935 to December 1936 he served as an advisor to the Argentine Navy Department at Buenos Aires , Argentina . From July 19 , 1939 until April 4 , 1941 , Riefkohl served as War Plans Officer on the staff of the Commandant Fifteenth Naval District , Balboa , Canal Zone . World War II . Riefkohl assumed command of the USS " Vincennes " on April 23 , 1942 . Upon the outbreak of World War II , Riefkohl was assigned to the Fire Support Group , LOVE ( with Transport Group XRAY ) under the command of Rear Admiral Richmond K . Turner ' s Task Force TARE ( Amphibious Force ) during the landing in the Solomon Islands on August 7 , 1942 . His ship served as an escort to the aircraft carrier USS Hornet , which launched the Doolittle Raid s on Tokoyo . The USS " Vincennes " belonged to the Northern Force , known as Task Force 62 . 2 . The task force consisted of the USS " Quincy " , the USS " Astoria " and other Allied cruiser s , destroyer s and minesweepers under the command of Rear Admiral Victor A . Crutchley and found themselves just off Guadalcanal . On August 9 , 1942 , Rear Admiral Crutchley , left with his flagship HMAS " Australia " to meet with the top brass without notifying Riefkohl . Japanese Admiral Gunichi Mikawa of the Japanese Navy decided to make a surprise attack on the American ships , leading to Battle of Savo Island . He first destroyed an Australian cruiser , then damaged the USS " Chicago " before going after the USS " Vincennes " . Riefkohl was summoned up to the bridge and believed that a minor skirmish was taking place with some ship . When the Japanese ships turned on their searchlights , Riefkohl mistook them for the American ships from the Southern Force and asked them over the radio to turn off their lights because enemy vessels might be near . The Japanese answered the message with a fusillade of shells and torpedoes . Riefkohl ordered a starboard turn , but torpedoes hit and exploded , destroying both engine rooms . The USS " Vincennes " fired back and may have hit the " Kinugasa " , a Japanese cruiser . The " Vincennes " received 85 direct hits and Riefkohl ordered his men to abandon ship . The sailors manned the life rafts and the " Vincennes " rolled over and went down with 342 men still aboard . Riefkohl was presented a Purple Heart for the wounds which he received . Rear Admiral Riefkohl wrote in an epitaph : " The magnificent " Vincennes " , which we were all so proud of , and which I had the honor to command since April 23 , 1941 , rolled over and then sank at about 0250 , August 9 , 1942 , about 2½ miles [ 5 km ] east of Savo Island . . . sic Solomons Group , in some 500 fathoms 900 m of water . " Later years . Riefkohl never commanded a United States Naval vessel again . In October 1942 he reported to the Office of the US Attache , American Embassy , Mexico City , Mexico , and joined the staff of the Commander , Mexican Forces , Region Gulf of Mexico , at Vera Cruz , as Liaison Officer for US Commander , Gulf Sea Frontier . Throughout the remaining war years , Riefkohl served in different positions , among them District Intelligence Officer , Eighth Naval District , with headquarters at New Orleans , Louisiana . He later served as the Chief of Staff to the governor the U . S . Virgin Islands , advisor to the Argentine Navy and as Inspector of the 10th Naval District in San Juan , Puerto Rico until his retirement from the Navy on January 1 , 1947 . Rear Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl died in Brevard County , Florida in 1969 and was buried with full military honors in the United States Naval Academy Cemetery of Columbarium . He was married to Louisa Gibson Riefkohl ( 1902 – 1974 ) and did not have any offspring . Awards and recognitions . Among Rear Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl ' s decorations and medals were the following : Foreign award