April 7, 2007 — Many people from the Virgin Islands have served or currently serve in the U.S. military, but — as in the movie "Saving Private Ryan" — some families have more at stake than others.
Two families on St. Croix, the Sampsons and the Mitchells, really stand out in that department: The Sampsons have five children out of nine serving, and the Mitchells have seven of eight.
Outgoing VING Adjutant General Eddy Charles spoke about the long tradition of service in the territory shortly before he changed assignments.
"Our soldiers have done outstanding (work)," Charles said. "Virgin Islanders are measuring up, doing today what we have traditionally done in World War II, in Korea and Vietnam; in every conflict, Virgin Islanders have volunteered. You always find Virgin Islanders side by side with the rest of the country. We can't vote for president, but we never abdicate our role as citizens."
When Ivan and Eva Sampson moved to St. Croix from Trinidad in 1973 in search of a better life, they had with them seven young children, the oldest of whom was Francis. Once on St. Croix, the Sampsons had two more children, bringing their brood to its total of nine by 1980.
Ivan Sampson worked at what was then the Hess refinery and later at the V.I. Water and Power Authority, from which he retired in 2000. Eva Sampson took care of the home. The children grew up in public housing and attended public schools.
After high school, two of the children, Francis and Christopher, moved to Durham, N.C., to attend N.C. Central University. Francis left college after two years and enlisted in the Army. He is now stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and is a staff sergeant on active duty.
Christopher joined the Army ROTC while in college, and after graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. He is stationed at Fort McPherson, Ga., and is a lieutenant colonel on active duty.
Another son, Dennis, also attended N.C. Central University. He then attended Meharry Dental School in Nashville, Tenn. While at Meharry, he joined the Navy and received his commission as a lieutenant. Dennis is stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and is a lieutenant commander. He recently gave up command of a dental clinic and he is now preparing to deploy with a Marine unit as the primary dentist.
When he was 15, the Sampsons' son Mathias also moved to Durham, N.C., to complete high school. While attending Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, Mathias joined the Army ROTC. After graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. Currently Mathias is a major in the V.I. National Guard (VING).
Son Curtis moved to Fayetteville, N.C., after high school. He attended N.C. Central University for a few semesters, and is now at a junior college and enlisted in the N.C. National Guard.
The Sampsons' other children — Kathleen, Dexter and Peter — are all doing fine in non-military careers.
What made so many in the family join up?
"We all chose this path individually," Mathias said. "My two oldest brothers, when they left in the '80s for college, one joined ROTC to help pay for college. My other brother didn't finish school. He was in the work force and had a young family to support, so he joined up."
Help with college tuition played a big role.
"Dennis and I, we joined at same time," Mathias said. "He was in dental school and I was in college. He joined the Navy and they paid for the last two years. I kind of did the same. My youngest brother, Curtis, joined to help pay for school, too. The biggest thing is using it as a tool to get ahead."
Several of the siblings have seen action, and at least one has been wounded.
Francis, called Frank, served in the first Gulf War and has been injured in the current conflict. Chris and his wife are both active duty, and have both served in Iraq and Afghanistan several times.
"I try not to live in fear or worry," Mathias said. "If I can't change it, it doesn't help to worry. We signed up to serve."
Five in one family may seem hard to beat. Even in "Saving Private Ryan," Ryan is one of four brothers. But the Mitchells stand out by more than a nose with two generations and 10 close family members serving. Osmond and Elizabeth Mitchell came to the Virgin Islands from Trinidad and Tobago.
"The Mitchells are the most pleasant and loving family of musicians," said the VING state public affairs officer, Sgt. First Class Karen Williams. "Their father once managed the children in a band called Code 9 that played at clubs and events around the V.I."
Seven of Osmond and Elizabeth's children have served or are serving:
— Sgt. Maj. Joanne Sanchez-Cruz is the first Hispanic female CSM on record with the VING. Although Sanchez-Cruz and her husband are retired, Joanne now serves as an instructor for the Junior ROTC at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas. Her husband was on the staff with the Junior ROTC program at St. Croix Central High School before he retired;
— Janice Mitchell served four years in the Army;
— Lt. Col. Richard Mitchell is VING deputy chief of staff for logistics;
— Christopher Mitchell served as an air-traffic controller in the Air Force;
— Lt. Col. Benedict Mitchell, serves as commander of the VING 23rd Civil Support Team, Weapons of Mass Destruction unit;
— Robert Mitchell retired from the Air Force. Since his retirement, Robert has been at the U.S. Weather Bureau office in Puerto Rico; and
— Maj. Cherrie-Ann Mitchell-Montel, the youngest, serves as a pharmacist in the Air Force and presently lives in Italy.
But that is just one generation. In the next generation:
— Rosa and Robert Sanchez, daughter and son of Joanne Sanchez Cruz, both serve today; and
— Richard has a son, stepdaughter and niece serving today: son, Sgt. Richard A. Mitchell; stepdaughter, Spc. Tayri Castillo, serves in the VING Medical Command; and niece, Spc. Lyshaniz Ince, is in the 651st GS Maintenance Company, which is deploying to Iraq next week.
Matriarch Elizabeth Mitchell said her daughter Joanne was a big influence on her siblings.
"Joanne coached the others to finish their college, then join," Elizabeth said. "She emphasized they should finish their college education first, and that is what they all did. The youngest, a major, is a pharmacist."
The Mitchells and Sampsons may have the sheer numbers serving, but of course there are hundreds of other families with members serving. At least one father-and-daughter team will head out together next week as 90 Virgin Islanders with the VING 651st Maintenance Company prepare to ship stateside, then deploy to Iraq after training for their new mission of base security at Camp Taji north of Baghdad.
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