[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 158 (Monday, September 14, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H4372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING JOHN HENRY TURPIN

  (Mr. KILMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of John Henry 
Turpin, a distinguished U.S. Navy sailor and a lifelong resident of 
Bremerton, Washington.
  John's 30-year career in the Navy included service during the 
Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War I. He is 
believed to be the first Black American to qualify as a master diver 
and was one of the first Black Americans to achieve the rank of Chief 
Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. John's outstanding legacy of service to 
our country is made even more significant by the era of prejudice and 
discrimination during which he served.
  I am proud that today the House of Representatives unanimously passed 
the bipartisan bill that I introduced to designate the U.S. Postal 
Service facility on Pacific Avenue in Bremerton as the John Henry 
Turpin Post Office Building in recognition of his achievements and his 
service.
  It is fitting that today Democrats and Republicans stood together in 
honoring his lifelong and selfless commitment to the defense of America 
and American values, and in ensuring that his accomplishments are 
permanently remembered in the city of Bremerton.

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