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John Henry Turpin

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American sailor (1876–1962)

John Henry Turpin
Formal photo of Turpin wearing his service dress uniformTurpin in the 1940s
Born(1876-08-20)August 20, 1876
Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMarch 10, 1962(1962-03-10) (aged 85)
Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service / branch United States Navy
Years of service1896–1925
RankChief Gunner's Mate, 1917
Unit
Battles / warsSpanish–American War
World War I

John Henry Turpin (August 20, 1876 – March 10, 1962) was an American sailor in the United States Navy who survived the catastrophic explosions of two U.S. Navy ships: USS Maine in 1898, and USS Bennington in 1905. Turpin was one of the first African Americans to hold the rank of chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, becoming a chief gunner's mate on the cruiser Marblehead in 1917. He was transferred to the Fleet Reserve in 1919 and retired in 1925.

Early life and career

Turpin was born on August 20, 1876, in Long Branch, New Jersey, and enlisted in the United States Navy in New York City on November 4, 1896.

He was a mess attendant on the battleship USS Maine (ACR-1) when it exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba, under mysterious circumstances on the night of February 15, 1898. Turpin was in the pantry of the wardroom when the explosion occurred, and felt the ship "heave and lift" before all went dark. He worked his way aft and climbed out of the wardroom on the captain's ladder and up onto the deck. He dove overboard and was rescued by a motor launch. Turpin was one of 90 out of the 350 officers and men aboard Maine that night to survive the explosion.

Bennington after the explosion on July 21, 1905, which killed 66

By mid-1905, Turpin had been assigned to the gunboat Bennington. When that ship was raising steam for a departure from San Diego, California, on July 21, 1905, she suffered a boiler explosion that sent men and machinery into the air and killed 66 of the 102 sailors aboard. Turpin reportedly saved three officers and twelve men by swimming them to shore one at a time. Eleven men were awarded the Medal of Honor for "extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion", but Turpin was not among them.

Turpin served on several other ships before leaving active duty service in 1916. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Turpin was recalled to service. On June 1, 1917, he became a chief gunner's mate on the cruiser Marblehead, which made him among the first African Americans with the rank of chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy. Turpin served at that rank until he was transferred to the Fleet Reserve in March 1919. In October 1925, Turpin retired at the rank of chief gunner's mate. Throughout his career, Turpin was the Navy boxing champion in several different weight classifications and was a boxing instructor at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Later life and death

During World War II, Turpin tried to return to active service but was denied on account of his age. He volunteered to tour Navy training facilities and defense plants to make "inspirational visits" to African American sailors. Turpin died in Bremerton, Washington on March 10, 1962. His ashes were scattered at sea. He was predeceased by his first wife, Anna Turner Turpin. He was survived by his second wife Faye Alice Turpin. In 2017 a memorial for him was placed beside the grave of his first wife at the Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton, Washington. The post office in Bremerton was renamed in his honor in 2020.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. ^ "John Henry ("Dick") Turpin, Chief Gunner's Mate, USN. (1876–1962)". Online Library of Selected Images: People. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. February 27, 2005. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  2. Sigsbee, Charles Dwight (December 1898). "Personal narrative of the "Maine" by her commander, Captain Charles Dwight Sigsbee, U. S. N.". Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. LVII (2): 254.
  3. ^ "Survivor of Maine sinking dies at age 96". Los Angeles Times. March 11, 1962. p. J10.
  4. "Maine". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  5. Mann, Raymond A. (February 8, 2006). "Bennington". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  6. "Boiler Explosion on USS Bennington, 21 July 1905". Online Library of Selected Images: Events. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. March 4, 2005. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  7. "Interim Awards, 1901-1911". Medal of Honor Recipients. U.S. Army Center of Military History. January 27, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  8. ^ Etchey, Donna (April 6, 2018). "Navy honor long over due". Kitsap Daily News. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  9. Vosler, Christian (December 22, 2020). "Downtown Bremerton post office renamed for trailblazing Black Navy chief". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
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