A True Air Force Chief and Chess Expert

By Brigid Miller

Samuel Robinson

April 10, 1947 – October 16, 2007

Sam Robinson was a “true Air Force Chief” who served for 28 years in the U.S. military. [1] He was a friend to many and “had a laugh that when you heard it you knew he was in the building.”[2] “He was a dedicated worker, no matter the challenge.”[3]

Samuel “Sam” E. Robinson was born to Samuel and Earlene Robinson on April 10, 1947 in Gary, Indiana.[4] Sam lived with his mother and three siblings, Carol, Donald, and Millard, while growing up. The family was also close with their grandparents. Sam’s grandfather was a taxi driver and often drove Sam and his siblings to school or to order dinner from different restaurants.[5] Sam’s family was on welfare and they moved frequently. During his junior year of high school, their apartment caught on fire and they lost just about everything.[6] Despite moving around a lot, Sam’s family stayed within Gary and he attended Roosevelt High School, the designated African American high school since 1931. In 1927 a group of 18 black students walked through the doors of Emerson High School (the oldest high school in Gary) to begin integrating it by the order of Superintendent William A. Wirt. Wirt was famous for getting Gary national educational recognition for school reforms. The 18 black students were faced with racist taunts and aggression, and many of the white students boycotted the school for four days. After other efforts to quell the boycott failed, Wirt and the school board compromised to build a new, accredited, all African American school in Gary, and would not integrate Emerson. Roosevelt High School officially opened in 1931 for enrollment.[7] Sam graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1965.[8] He enjoyed playing basketball and loved to play chess, and would often play with this older man at the park.[9] Sam considered himself an expert at chess and joined the Chess Club during high school.[10] Sam met his high school sweetheart, Cheryl, through his best friend, Dean. They went to schools on opposite sides of Gary, but they dated all through high school. Cheryl and Sam stayed together after they both graduated from high school.[11]

Samuel Robinson is the first from the left in the furthest back row as part of the Chess Club.[46]

After graduating, Sam went to college where the was deferred from the draft twice. The third time, Sam could either enlist or get drafted. He decided to enlist in the Marines because it had the shortest enlistment time.[12] He enlisted in September 1966, just one year after graduating from Roosevelt. [13] Sam trained with the 2225th platoon in San Diego from September 30 until November 25, 1966.[14] Marine Corps boot camp has always had a reputation for being extraordinarily demanding both mentally and physically. Like the rest of the military, the Marine Corps was officially desegregated in 1941, but they did not start actively recruiting people of color until 1942 when they were forced to. Despite this, there was color bias until 1948 when President Truman’s Executive Order 9981 called to end it.[15] Sam may have faced hardship while training both because of the intensity of boot camp as well as because he was a man of color. According to Cheryl, Sam did not face discrimination while on active duty in the Marines; a Marine is a Marine regardless of their racial background, they stick together under their mantra, Semper Fi, always faithful.[16]

At the time he enlisted, Sam didn’t know that the Marines were sent straight to the front lines but quickly found out. The Marine Corps had troops stationed all over the world during the war including on the ground in Vietnam and doing amphibious test drills in the Caribbean.[17] Sam was sent to Vietnam directly following the completion of his training. Cheryl was attending Indiana University in Bloomington at this time. Sam’s father was happy that he had joined the military and thought that it would make him a “man.” His mother, grandmother, and Cheryl on the other hand, all worried about him going to Vietnam. Cheryl wanted him to come home so that they could get married.[18]

Sam was sent to Vietnam twice while in the Marines. Sam was a Platoon Leader with the Marines. He loved having a position in leadership during his service. Sam picked up smoking in the Marines because if they ever got breaks, the smokers could take a smoking break, while the others had to keep working. Sam kept pretty good contact with Cheryl while in Vietnam, one time even writing on some toilet paper because there wasn’t anything else to use. Once he became a Platoon Leader, he was able to call every once in a while, on the radio.[19] On May 21, 1967, Sam was shot, and was brought back to the United States to recuperate. He was shot on the same day his first daughter, Nichelle, was born.[20] For his service in Vietnam and getting shot, he received a Purple Heart as well as the Vietnam Service Campaign medal with two oak leaves. He was released from the Marines in 1968.[21] The Vietnam War was horrific for everyone. Sam experienced many life-threatening situations and saw many people die. According to Cheryl, Sam had nightmares about his experiences in Vietnam for many years following his release. It complicated their family relations because he tried to deal with it on his own, not always in a healthy way.[22]

In January 1969, after being released, Sam and Cheryl got married.[23] Sam tried living as a civilian after serving in the Vietnam War, and had a variety of odd jobs ranging from selling life insurance, to tires, to cemetery plots, but nothing seemed to stick. Sam decided that the military was a consistent check to help support his two daughters, Nichelle and Anjanette, better. In 1971 Sam reenlisted without any warning to his family. When he reenlisted, he did not want to rejoin the Marines because he wanted a better military situation for himself, which is why he chose to enlist in the U.S. Air Force.

Sam was stationed in many places during his time in the Air Force. Soon after enlisting, he was stationed in Denver. Neither Cheryl nor Sam were able to finish their college educations, so both enrolled in some classes at the University of Denver. Cheryl enrolled first as she was working towards a degree in English and Journalism. She had always been a writer and she wanted to learn as much as she could in these classes. Sam followed her and wanted to work towards becoming a Warrant Officer, which is a position between a Non-Commissioned Officer and a Commissioned Officer.[24] A short while later, Sam was moved to Guam. He and his family lived in Guam from around 1972 until 1976 at the Air Force Base. While there, Sam was deployed to the Philippines and Thailand. Sam started his career in communications and a lot of his work was top secret. Cheryl had to go through the process of getting secret clearances as well. They were often times not at liberty to discuss his work or whereabouts. Cheryl recalled that following one of Sam’s secret missions, he and Cheryl had to go to a hotel in downtown Agana, remove their clothes and leave them in the hallway. He whispered his mission to her and told her that if anything were to happen to him, she and their daughters would be taken care of. Because of moments like this, Cheryl tried not to ask too many questions to protect herself, Nichelle, and Anjanette.[25]

Despite the secretiveness of his work, the family enjoyed military life. Nichelle and Anjanette enjoyed participating in different activities on the base. Cheryl started a Girl Scout troop on the base as well. She had been in the Girl Scouts growing up and wanted to share that with the community at the base in Guam. Sam was promoted while in Guam in part due to his family’s connectedness to the military community there and participation in various activities.[26] Sam continued to enjoy playing chess and one year, Cheryl bought him a very nice marble chess set. He collected many chess sets, but the marble one was one of his favorites.[27]

After being stationed in Guam, Sam was transferred to McClellan AFB in Sacramento, CA. The family moved to Sacramento, but unlike in Guam were not living on the base. While in Sacramento, Cheryl began her career working for the Federal Government as a writer and editor. She worked for the Air Force Magazines: Flying Safety Magazine, Road & Recreation Magazine, and Nuclear Journal; Coast Guard Publications: The Proceeding Magazine (which is the oldest military magazine in U.S. history and is still in existence), The Blue Book (Vessels) and various Coast Guard Newsletters.[28] She was the first and only African American Editor for both the Road & Recreation Magazine and the Proceedings Magazine until retiring in 2006.[29] To this day, she is still the only African American Editor and Writer for some of these magazines.[30] While writing for the military, she won many awards, including the NAGC Blue Pencil Award, which is awarded specifically to government communicators. Since retiring, Cheryl has continued to write. She has two books published: “Lana’s Dream” and “A Forgotten Negro League Star,” many short stories published, and is working on a few e-books and short stories as well.[31] Sam continued to reenlist for many years in part because he was proud of his military career, but also because he got big bonuses for reenlisting. He and Cheryl would use the bonuses to buy big things that they otherwise couldn’t afford, often times to buy better cars.[32]

In Sacramento, Sam continued to struggle with his PTSD and the nightmares.[33] On the weekends, Sam would use different substances to try calming the bad dreams but would stay clean during the work week. Cheryl wanted him to get completely clean, so she turned him into the military one time. Sam felt betrayed and their marriage suffered.[34] After being together since high school and married for more than 10 years, Sam and Cheryl got divorced. Sam got remarried to a woman named Jessie. The two were married for 27 years before he died. Jessie had two children from a previous relationship as well, Robert and Darrene.[35] After getting married to Jessie, Sam did not stay in touch very well with Cheryl or his daughters, which was difficult for Cheryl to explain to her daughters since they were “daddy’s girls.”[36]

For the remainder of Sam’s career with the Air Force, he moved around a lot with Jessie.[37] Some of the places he lived with his new wife and family were Sacramento, CA, Hawaii, and Albuquerque, NM.[38] Sam served in the Air Force for 26 years retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant, the highest rank of an enlisted person in the Air Force, at the age of 50 in 1997.[39] He served for a total of 28 years in the U.S. military. Sam was proud of his military career and Cheryl wished she could have been a part of his retirement as she was with him for many of his most difficult times in the military.[40] For his service in the Air Force, Sam received a Meritorious Service Medal.[41] Sam proved himself to be a true Air Force Chief through his dedication to the military and meritorious achievements.

After he retired from the Air Force, Sam worked for Rohmann Services Inc., a technological information company that works with the Department of Defense, as a Contract Manager. There, he worked with the 46th Test Wing of the U.S. Air Force, based at the Eglin Air Base in Florida. The 46th Test Wing designed and performed both flight and ground development tests for conventional weapons as well as electronic combat systems. As a contract manager, Sam was a middleman between Rohmann Services and the 46th Test Wing. He is remembered for taking good care of the people he worked with.[42] Sam made lasting impressions on his co-workers of professionalism, kindness, and as a great leader.[43]

Sam passed away at the age of 60 on October 3, 2007 in Texas. He was survived by Jessie, Cheryl, one of his brothers (Donald), sister, four children, and 7 grandchildren.[44] Sam was buried at Ft. Logan National Cemetery at the request of his wife, Jessie.[45] There were two funerals, one in Denver when he was buried and a second in Texas, where he was living at the time that he died.

Footnotes ↓

[1] Tribute by William Rothe (10/09/2007), Legacy.com, “Obituary for Samuel Robinson,” originally published in the San Antonio Express-News, October 8, 2007, reprinted on Legacy.com (accessed July 5, 2020).

[2] Tribute by Billy Robinson (10/12/2007), Legacy.com, Obituary for Samuel Robinson.

[3] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[4] Legacy.com, “Obituary for Samuel Robinson.”

[5] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[6] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[7] Carole Carson, “Gary Roosevelt High School was built for a city’s black students when schools resisted integration. Now it’s Shuttered with an uncertain future,” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL), Feb. 28, 2020, (accessed July 7, 2020), https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-gary-roosevelt-history-st-0301-20200228-duwcmtbiqbeqpko76y7uw7u2mm-story.html.

[8] “U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012,” ancestry.com (accessed July 7, 2020), Roosevelt High School, 1965

[9] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[10] “U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012,” ancestry.com (accessed July 7, 2020), Roosevelt High School, 1965.

[11] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[12] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[13] “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010,” ancestry.com (accessed July 21, 2020), entry for Samuel Robinson.

[14] Marine recruit book, MCRD Museum, 1966, (accessed July 7, 2020), https://www.mcrdmuseum.org/images/pdf/RECRUITBOOKLIST2019/19662019_UpdateCompressed.pdf.

[15] Cpl Bobby J. Yarbrough, “The History of the Black Marine,” Marines, March 9, 2010, (accessed July 7, 2020), https://www.barracks.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/498218/the-history-of-the-black-marine/.

[16] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[17] Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps, “A Chronology Of The United States Marine Corps 1965-1969,” Marine Corps Historical Reference Pamphlet (Washington, D.C.), 1971, (accessed July 7, 2020), https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/A%20Chronology%20Of%20The%20UNITED%20STATES%20MARINE%20CORPS%201965-1969%20%20PCN%2019000318100.pdf.

[18] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.”

[22] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[23] Marriage Certificate for Samuel Robinson and Cheryl Holloway, Indiana Archives and Records Administration (accessed July 7, 2020), Indianapolis, IN, 1969.

[24] Cheryl Holloway, phone call with Brigid Miller, August 16, 2020, DU, VLP.

[25] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[26] Ibid.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Cheryl Holloway, “Cheryl Holloway Bio,” (accessed September 7, 2020), www.cherylholloway.net/bio.htm.

[30] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[31] Cheryl Holloway, “Cheryl Holloway Bio,” (accessed September 7, 2020), www.cherylholloway.net/bio.htm.

[32] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[33] Cheryl Holloway, phone call with Brigid Miller, August 16, 2020, DU, VLP.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Legacy.com, “Obituary for Samuel Robinson.”

[36] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP.

[37] Legacy.com, “Obituary for Samuel Robinson.”

[38] Cheryl Holloway, email with Brigid Miller, August 14, 2020, DU, VLP. “U.S. Public Records Index,” database, ancestry.com (accessed July 21, 2020), entry for Samuel E Robinson, 1995.