USS Midway Crewmember from 1982-1986, MSCS(AW) US Navy Retired. honors a legendary Chief Petty Officer in Bremerton WA. Pioneering Chief Remembered at Gravesite Ceremony Story written by Julianne Stanford Photos by Larry Steagall Kitsap Sun More than 50 years after his death, longtime Bremerton resident Chief Gunner's Mate John Henry "Dick" Turpin was recognized for his trailblazing Navy service with the unveiling of a memorial marker at Ivy Green Cemetery on Friday. Turpin was one of the Navy's first African American chief petty officers. During his almost three decadeslong military career, Turpin survived the sinking of two ships, saw combat in China during the Boxer Rebellion, and was recalled to service when the U.S. entered World War I. The Pacific Northwest Chief Petty Officer Association and Mick Hersey, a retired senior chief and local military preservationist, hosted the event at Ivy Green Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The unveiling of Turpin's marker coincides with the Navy's celebration of the 125th anniversary of the official establishment of the rank of chief petty officer on April 1, 1893. Turpin died in his sleep at his downtown Bremerton home on March 10, 1962. He was cremated and his remains were buried at sea. At the time, no service was held to honor his life. Turpin's memorial marker is now located next to the gravesite of his first wife, Anna Turpin, at the cemetery. Turpin was "not only a great man, but a great sailor and a trail blazer, a pioneer, and a one-of-a-kind chief petty officer," said Senior Chief Yeoman Trev Lawrence. "His life encompasses, among other things, a dedication to unity, service and navigation."
Cmdr. Kelly Laing, commanding officer of the USS Maine, salutes during the national anthem and presentation of colors at a memorial Dick Turpin on Friday at Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton. Turpin served on a famous, previous USS Maine -- the one that exploded in Havana harbor in 1898, leading to the Spanish-American War. (Photo: Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun) Historian Fredi Perry describes Turpin as a "handsome, distinguished, mustachioed" man, in her book, "Bremerton and the Puget Sound Navy Yard." In addition to his notable mustache, Perry noted Turpin had one other distinguishing characteristic, according to his enlistment records - the number of tattoos on his body. He had an eagle, flags, a dagger, a rose and his initials twice inked onto his body, as well as a few others. Lawrence quoted the late Al Colvin, a former Bremerton city councilman, as describing Turpin as a man who "carried himself in a very upright manner" and had the "bearing of a person who had received a medal and did not make a big thing of it." Chief Gunner's Mate John Henry "Dick" Turpin was one of the first African-American Chief Petty Officers in the U.S. Navy. This photograph appears to have been taken during or after World War II. (Photo: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph) Turpin was born on Aug. 20, 1876, and enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 4, 1896, in New York City. For the next three decades, Turpin served in the Navy throughout pivotal moments in history at the start of the 20th century. "To truly understand his achievements, we must understand the time in our history in which he had joined the Navy," Lawrence said. When Turpin enlisted in the Navy, people of color were only allowed to serve as mess attendants, Lawrence said.
"However, he performed his job with great pride and was honored to be accepted into the world's greatest Navy," Lawrence said. "Though blacks were not widely embraced, he still held a strong sense of unity in the Navy, in a country he had served and swore to defend." A couple of years after enlisting, then-mess Attendant Turpin survived the sinking of the battleship USS Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, which was a Spanish colony at the time. Shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 15, 1989, a mysterious explosion tore through battleship and caused irreparable damage to vessel that would send it to the seafloor. Turpin worked his way through the ship in the dark, climbed up a ladder onto the deck and jumped into the water to be saved by a small vessel that had come to the rescue. He was among the 90 sailors out of a crew of 350 men who survived the vessel's sinking. The sinking became the spark that started the nearly four months-long Spanish-American War. A few years later, Turpin survived another ship's sinking when a boiler exploded aboard the gunboat USS Bennington on July 21, 1905, as the ship was preparing to steam out of San Diego. Sixty-six members of the 102-person crew were killed in the accident, which is still regarded as one of the Navy's largest peacetime disasters to date. Turpin is credited with saving the lives of 11 sailors by swimming them to shore one at a time. Although 11 sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism displayed during the accident, Turpin was not one of them. The new gravesite marker for Chief Gunner s Mate John Henry Dick Turpin at Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton. (Photo: Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun)
"He was never fully recognized at the time for his acts of heroism, yet that did not distract him. He did it out of service, out of loyalty, out of admiration and love for his fellow shipmates," Lawrence said. "He refused to accept the demise of his shipmates and he saved everyone he could." That's a wrong historian and preservationist Hersey soon hopes to correct. "(This ceremony) is just the start of the dream," Hersey said. "What we still really want to get done is to have him recognized with a Medal of Honor." Turpin began working as a rigger at the Puget Sound Naval Yard after leaving active duty service in 1916. Shortly thereafter, Turpin was recalled to active service when the U.S. entered World War I in April 1917. On June 1, 1917, Turpin became one of the Navy"s first African American chief petty officers when he became the chief gunner's mate on the cruiser USS Marblehead. During the war, the Marblehead provided escort and patrol duty along the coast of California, Mexico, Key West and in the Caribbean as well as through the Panama Canal. After the war, Turpin transferred back to the reserves in March 1919. After 29 years of service, he retired from the military in October 1925. After retirement from the military, he returned to work at the Puget Sound Naval Yard. By the time he retired from his 22-year-long career at the shipyard, he had become a master diver and a master rigger. He is credited with developing an underwater torch and underwater welding system that saved the lives of countless sailors trapped in sinking ships during World War II. When the U.S. went to war again in 1941, Turpin reportedly requested mobilization to rejoin his fellow sailors at sea. The Navy declined the request because Turpin was 65 years old at the time, Lawrence said. Turpin still found a way to contribute to the war effort. He frequently made trips to training and recruiting centers to boost morale and to help recruit African Americans into the service. Retired Senior Chief Eugene Garcia, a first class Navy diver, said it was an honor to attend the ceremony. "The Navy I joined in 1960 still had problems, so I just can't imagine him feeling the way he did about the military under the circumstances." Garcia said. "It bothers me that it took so long for our government to recognize the service of people with other nationalities."
Former Navy diver Eugene Garcia, of Olalla, listens during the memorial service for Dick Turpin on Friday at Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton. Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun Mick Hersey places a cut-out of Dick Turpin before
Navy chiefs bow their heads during a benediction at A rifle volley honor ceremony after the memorial service
Navy Master Chief Trev Lawrence gives the keynote speech at the ceremony Honoring Chief Gunners Mate John Henry (Dick) Turpin Navy Master Chief Trev Lawrence gives a "chief s shout out"
A cover is lifted to unveil the new marker for Chief Karen Vargas, of the Living Arts Heritage Center Honors GMC Turpin