Interview of John Andrew C. Felix by Betsey Poore

April 11, 2014

JohnAndrew C. Felix was born in St. Lucia and moved to the United States in 1978. When he finished his high school dual-enrollment program, he entered the Air Force. He spent three and a half years with the Air Force working with a small unit rebuilding and refurbishing air conditioning ducts. However, he could not get promoted within the Air Force because he was not yet an American citizen. He was transferred to the Army, which has an expedited citizenship process for non-U.S. citizens in the military. In fewer than six months, Felix had his citizenship and was promoted to Sergeant in the Army. He served in the Army for the next seven years. He spent the majority of his Army career in Germany, but he was also stationed in Ft. Drum. He was deployed to Iraq, Somalia, and Haiti. Somalia was the toughest deployment. It is the place where he saw his life flash before his eyes. During the conflict in Haiti he served as a translator for six months.

Felix spent his last ten years as a recruiter for the Army National Guard in Connecticut. He enjoyed being a recruiter because he felt like he was truly making a difference in young people’s lives. After ten years in the Army National Guard, Felix considered going back into aviation in the Army. However, the medical examination board diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis. Felix was medically retired after twenty honorable years in the service.

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