NBK Commemorates First African American Chief Petty Officer

Photo By Vaughan Dill | 180330-N-SH284-0112 BREMERTON, Wash. (March 30, 2018) Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler and Kitsap County Commissioner Ed Wolfe read city and county proclamations during a memorial ceremony at the Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton. The ceremony was held in honor of Chief Gunner's Mate John Henry "Dick" Turpin, the first African American Chief Petty Officer. To commemorate Turpin, a Memorial marker was installed on the gravesite of his first wife Anna Turpin. Chief Turpin died in 1962 and was buried at Sea. Until now, no service or memorial was placed in his honor. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Vaughan Dill/Released)  

BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

03.30.2018

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Vaughan Dill 

Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Det. Northwest

BREMERTON Wash.- Sailors assigned to Naval Base Kitsap gathered at the Ivy Green Cemetery to celebrate the contributions of longtime Kitsap County resident John Henry “Dick” Turpin, the Navy’s first African American Chief Petty Officer, for his trail-blazing Navy service, with the unveiling of a memorial marker at Ivy Green Cemetery on March 29.

The ceremony, hosted by the Pacific Northwest Chief Petty Officer Association, honored Turpin’s nearly three decades-long service in which he survived the sinking of two ships and trail-blazed his way through a turbulent career.

During the ceremony, Kitsap county Commissioner Ed Wolfe and Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler delivered the city and county proclamation.

“56 years have passed since the passing of John Henry ‘Dick’ Turpin, on 10 March 1962, without a memorial stone or remembrance marker, as he was buried at sea by the U.S. Navy" said Wolfe and Wheeler. ..."therefore we, Ed Wolfe, Kitsap County Commissioner, and Greg Wheeler, City of Bremerton, do hereby proclaim March 30, 2018 to be John Henry ‘Dick’ Turpin memorial day as we honor him with a memorial at Ivy Green Cemetery Bremerton."

Turpin enlisted on 4 November 1986 from New York City. He was a Mess Attendant on the USS Maine during its explosion on 15 February 1898, which started the Spanish American War. Turpin was one of 90 men that survived the explosion out of 350. Chief Turpin also saw action in China during the Boxer Rebellion.

“We are here to honor not only a great man, but also a great Sailor, a trail-blazer, a pioneer and a one-of-a-kind Chief Petty Officer”, said Master Chief Hospital Corpsman (Submarines) Trev Lawrence. “His life encompasses among other things, his dedication to unity, service and navigation. USN, those are the letters that are emblazed on our golden anchors, an emblematic of hope and glory for the fulfillment of god’s promise to our souls”.

By Mid-1905, Turpin was assigned to the Gunboat USS Bennington (PG-4). On 21 July 1905, it suffered a boiler explosion that sent men and machinery into the air killing 66 of the 102 men aboard. Turpin is credited with rescuing many of his shipmates from the explosion. 11 Medals of Honor were awarded to men that displayed extraordinary heroism at the time of the explosion, but Turpin was not one of them.

“To truly understand his accomplishments, we must understand the time in our history in which he had joined the Navy," said Lawrence. "As far back as the War of 1812, it was still U.S. policy that African Americans were forbidden to join the military services. However a shortage of manpower chose a different path. Again, the Navy set forth and blazed that trail."

Thanks to the foresight and courage of some in the Navy like commodore Isaac Chauncey who is credited with saying, “I have yet to learn that the color of a man's skin or the cut or trimming of his coat can affect a man’s qualification or usefulness,” Turpin got the opportunity to show his quality. And show that quality he did.

Turpin served on several ships before leaving active duty in 1916. During this time frame he also qualified as a Navy Diver and Master Diver. When the United States entered into WWI in April 1917, Turpin was recalled to active duty from the Shipyard. On 01 June 1917, he became a Chief Gunner's Mate on the cruiser USS Marblehead (C-11). He served as a Chief Gunner's Mate until being transferred to the Fleet Reserve in March 1919.

“He was never fully recognized at the time, for his acts of heroism, yet that did not distract him”, said Lawrence. “He did it out of service, out of loyalty, out of admiration and love for his fellow shipmates."

In October 1935, John Henry (Dick) Turpin retired at the rank of Chief Gunner's Mate. During his time in the Navy, he was the Navy Boxing Champion in several weight classes and also instructed boxing at the Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland. When not on active duty, he was employed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington.

During WWII due to his age, he was not allowed to come back into the Navy so he volunteered to make inspirational visits to the defense plants in the area and as a recruiting tool to assist African Americans to know what it was like being in the service.

After his military service, he worked as a rigger and became a Master Rigger and Master Diver. He is credited with assisting in the design of the underwater welding cutting torch and under water welding system that saved many of the ships that were attacked in WWII. Turpin died quietly in his sleep at his home in Bremerton on 10 March 1962, and after his cremation at Miller Reynolds funeral home, his remains were turned over to the Navy and honored with a burial at sea.

The Ivy Green Cemetery ceremony concluded with a Rifle volley by the Naval Base Kitsap Honor Guard, and a memorial in honor of Turpin, that had been installed on the gravesite of his first wife Anna, was unveiled while the Honor Guard played ‘Taps’.

• Date Taken: 03.30.2018
• Date Posted: 03.31.2018 19:40
• Story ID: 271393
• Location: BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US