An up to date repost in honor of Black Historical past Month.
John Henry Turpin was one of many first Black Chief Petty Officers to serve in the USA Navy. He was additionally a survivor of two naval disasters — the catastrophic explosions of the USS Maine in 1898, and USS Bennington in 1905. He was certainly one of 12 sailors nominated for the Medal of Honor for his or her efforts in rescuing their fellow crew members on the Bennington.
Turpin was born in Lengthy Department, NJ in 1876. He enlisted within the Navy at age 20, as a messman, one of many solely positions out there to Black sailors on the time.
Nearly two years later, on February 15, 1898, Turpin was serving within the mess corridor of the USS Maine at anchor in Havana Harbor, Cuba when it mysteriously blew up. He was picked up from the waters of the harbor together with 89 different crew members. They had been the one survivors of the explosion out of 350 whole crew.
In 1905, Turpin had been assigned to the gunboat Bennington. When that ship was elevating steam for a departure from San Diego, California, on July 21, 1905, she suffered a boiler explosion that killed 66 of the 102 males aboard.
Turpin was certainly one of 12 sailors nominated for the Medal of Honor for valor in making an attempt to rescue members of the ship’s crew. Turpin was personally credited with saving the lives of three officers and 12 enlisted males throughout that effort. However, whereas all 11 white sailors nominated had been awarded the Medal of Honor, Turpin was not. It seems that he was not awarded any medal for his actions that day.
In 1915, Turpin labored as a diver in efforts to lift the sunken submarine USS F-4 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He turned certified as a Grasp Diver – in all probability the primary African-American sailor to take action. Turpin was additionally credited with being concerned with the event of the underwater reducing torch.
Turpin left lively responsibility in 1916, solely to be recalled when the US entered World Conflict I. On June 1, 1917, he turned a Chief Gunner’s Mate on the cruiser Marblehead, which made him among the many first African-American Chief Petty Officers within the U.S. Navy. Turpin served at that rank till he was transferred to the Fleet Reserve in March 1919. In October 1925, Turpin retired on the rank of Chief Gunner’s Mate.
Throughout his time within the Navy, he was the Navy boxing champion in a number of totally different weight classifications and was a boxing teacher at the USA Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
After his retirement from the Navy, Turpin was employed as a Grasp Rigger on the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington. He was additionally certified as a Grasp Diver in his civilian duties.
Throughout World Conflict II, Turpin tried to return to lively service however was denied on account of his age. He volunteered to tour Navy coaching amenities and protection crops to make “inspirational visits” to African-American sailors.
Turpin died in Bremerton, Washington on March 10, 1962. He was survived by his spouse Faye Alice. His physique was cremated and his ashes had been buried at sea. There’s a cenotaph on his honor on the Ivy Inexperienced Cemetery in Bremerton.
Current efforts to posthumously award the Medal of Honor that Turpin for his valor on the Bennington in 1905 failed as a result of an excessive amount of time had handed and there have been no residing eyewitnesses to corroborate the occasions. As an alternative, the USA Congress in December 2020, renamed the USA Submit Workplace in Bremerton, WA, after John Henry Turpin.
Turpin’s navy awards embody the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Spanish Marketing campaign Medal, the China Aid Marketing campaign Medal, the Nicaragua Marketing campaign Medal, the Mexican Service Medal, the WWI Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
Due to David Rye for contributing to this put up.
The put up Black Historical past Month — John Henry Turpin : Pioneer, Survivor, and Missed Hero appeared first on Previous Salt Weblog.
