Page 33 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Summer 2022 - Online Magazine

JACK AND SONJA MITCHELL

Law Enforcement

&

so much moRe by Jane Bromley

joined the Army at a waiver. Jack and Sonja left the
18 and served in chapel together and have now been
the 101st Airborne married 59 years!
at Fort Campbell,
KY from 1961 to After his discharge, the newlyweds
‘64. He was trained came back to Lubbock where
in heavy weaponry Jack was hired by the Lubbock
and FDC (fire Police Department in 1966. He
direction control). served first as a patrol officer and
As a paratrooper, later in the juvenile division until
he survived 29 1974. He wanted to continue his
jumps, even though, education, but LPD scheduling
on jump 25, his did not accommodate that goal,
chute didn't open so he switched to the Sheriff's
properly. (That’s Department.
another story.)
Radio room in the old
In June 1963, Sheriff's Office
Jack hitchhiked
from Kentucky to
n the 1940s, Jack Mitchell’s Lubbock to get married, but the
father knew the ghettos of Des trip took longer than expected.
IMoines, Iowa were no place to The marriage license required a
raise his family, so he found work three-day wait, but by the time
in Lubbock, Texas and sent for his Jack arrived, it was
wife. She loaded two days before
their eight children the wedding. The
on a train so the ceremony couldn’t be Jack was assigned to the night
family could start a postponed, but the shift in the old jail on Broadway.
new life. Jack was 14, marriage wouldn’t It afforded him lots of study time
and he remembers be “legal” until the between going out on patrol,
how thrilled he and following day. That censoring mail, answering calls,
his siblings were meant Sonja would doling out medication, and checking
to be in Texas. He have to return home on inmates. Since he was the only
attended Lubbock with her mother until one on duty, he occasionally had
High School but she was “legally” to leave one of the trustees in
had to quit at 17 to married! Fortunately, charge to answer the radio if he
help support the due to Jack’s military had to respond to a call. “Times
family which had Measuring a bullet status, the chaplain got have changed,” he observed. His
grown to 12. He trajectory

Lubbock Senior Link 33