Samuel Triplett

Samuel S. Triplett was a United States Navy sailor who served during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He achieved the rank of Chief Boatswain's Mate and is most distinguished for receiving the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his extraordinary heroism during the Spanish–American War.

In July 1898, while serving as an Ordinary Seaman on board the U.S.S. Marblehead, Triplett operated at the approaches to Caimanera in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Over a consecutive two-day period, he engaged in the highly perilous work of sweeping for and disabling contact mines, successfully neutralizing 27 mines.

Following his heroic actions in Cuba, Triplett continued his service in the Navy, which spanned through the First World War. His decorated naval career remains a testament to early American mine countermeasures and naval bravery.