Photo #: NH 89471
John Henry ("Dick") Turpin,
Chief Gunner's Mate, USN (retired) (1876-1962)
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.
Turpin enlisted in the Navy in 1896. A survivor of the explosions
on USS Maine (1898) and USS Bennington (1905),
he became a Chief Gunner's Mate in 1917. Transferred to the Fleet
Reserve in 1919, CGM Turpin retired in 1925.
Qualified as a Master Diver, he was also employed as a Master
Rigger at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, and, during the World War
II era, made inspirational visits to Navy Training Centers and
defense plants.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 47KB; 590 x 765 pixels |
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