Jewels of the Virgin Isles is a feature series profiling Virgin Islanders in the diaspora who are excelling in their respective fields and/or positively representing the USVI abroad.
Thoughtful. Passionate. Dutiful. Proud. Virgin Islands Ambassador. These are words that come to mind as you speak with Mel Vanterpool, a Virgin Islander born in New York and raised on the island of St. Thomas. Vanterpool is a product of the Virgin Islands public school system and a 1962 graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School. He is also an alumnus of Bethune-Cookman College and a decorated military veteran who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Vanterpool’s life seemed to have been groomed for one of military service, given his early introduction to the regimented discipline and active lifestyle of scouting, and serving as an acolyte in All Saints Cathedral throughout his youth. As a Boy Scout, Cub Scout, and Explorer, he was a member of the drum and bugle corps and said he enjoyed the military-like precision that the organizations provided.
A typically private person, Vanterpool patterns his life on the teachings and practices of great leaders such as St. Francis of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He credits scouting with keeping him off the streets and on a path destined for success.
“Those early activities really kept me on the straight and narrow. Besides when I was growing up, the Virgin Islands was a very religious community and everyone was an elder or extended parent, so although I did some crazy, boyish things, I didn’t get into too much trouble. I was too busy having fun,” he says.
Vanterpool always had an eye on the military and a personal desire to attend West Point, but he shifted his perspective to active duty after a chance encounter with a Korean War paratrooper from the Virgin Islands who had returned home. “There were very few blacks jumping out of planes back then and I wanted to do that,” Vanterpool says. “Besides, he was SHARP, and I noticed how the girls were looking at him and thought, ‘That could be me too!’”
Vanterpool’s military career took him around the world three times, to 28 different countries, including the jungles of Viet Nam, an experience that would shape the rest of his life and federal service. He started as a professional soldier, volunteering for the elite Special Forces “Green Berets,” where he learned numerous lessons of character building, integrity and discipline.
Gaining experience in various positions in the military and federal government, Vanterpool was an instrumental force in establishing Veterans Centers and community based clinics in the Virgin Islands and he worked with Veterans Centers in California and Florida. He was also a chief instructor of Homeland Defense Academy/Anti-Terrorism with Special Communications Inc., a defense contractor.
However, the pull of the Virgin Islands was strong for Vanterpool, so he returned after his first retirement for a few years to contribute his expertise to the territory as the first director of the USVI Office of Homeland Security. Today, Vanterpool now works once again in Washington, D.C., as a program manager/analyst with the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA.
Despite his storied career path, Vanterpool is more than a soldier and civil servant. He is passionate about his homeland and quick to tell the world that he is a Virgin Islander. “The greatest time in my entire 68 years was growing up in the Virgin Islands. It was absolutely wonderful,” he reminisces.
“We had so much but didn’t think we had a thing. We never wanted for clothes, shoes, shelter, but mostly, never wanted for LOVE,” he comments. “As I mentioned before, I was fortunate to have activities to keep me out of trouble. These programs and the love of the community helped to mold me into the man I am today.”
Vanterpool observes that today’s youth face much greater distractions and appear to have lesser amounts of that community-generated “love” and support that helps to build confidence throughout childhood. This is something he would like to see more of and encourages the local government to focus on the “great, wonderful things that our culture has by developing a K-12 educational curriculum that would establish a solid foundation to develop progressive-minded Virgin Islanders.”
As Vanterpool reflects on the way the islands were during his childhood, he hopes that the local leaders can help to guide the territory back to the sharing, caring community for which the Virgin Islands were known. Although he resides in the D.C. area, Vanterpool carries his love for the territory in his spirit.
“I love the Virgin Islands – from our wonderful culture and rich pre-Columbian history, and of course our most beautiful landscapes, pristine beaches, and plenty of sunshine. Did I mention how much I miss the beaches?”
A Nugget for V.I. Youth: “As cliché as it sounds, stay in school and remain focused on higher education with a plan to help our beloved Virgin Islands grow and prosper.”
Little Known Fact: Mel was on track to become an Anglican priest and was on his way to seminary in Puerto Rico when he decided instead to enlist in the U.S. Army. He also spent part of his career as a radio and television broadcaster and is known for his distinct on-air voice.
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Loán Sewer is a marketing and tourism consultant and proud Virgin Islander who resides in Washington, D.C. She is also a founding member of the USVI Alliance Inc., an organization focused on reconnecting the Virgin Islands diaspora with the local community and host of the USVI Economic Development Summit on the U.S. mainland. Follow her on Twitter @LoTalksTourism or e-mail her at info@Lotalkstourism.com.
