Yank Sumpter, my father; part of his own testimony of enlisting in the USMC

I was weighing cotton in a field near Bakersfield, California, on 7 December 1941. The next day, during the high school gym class, we were told to listen to our president on the radio. President Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war. At noon, my buddy and I went to the recruiting office to enlist. He was 17 but I wouldn’t be 15 until the next day, 9 December 1941. My buddy enlisted in the Navy, and I stopped at the Marine recruiting office. Maybe I stopped there because of the dress blues, first to fight, Semper Fi and all that. The recruiting sergeant asked my age, and I told him that was only 15. He said, “You are big enough, but not old enough. Get permission from your mother or dad.” He told me that if I could get a birth certificate or a sworn statement certifying that I was 17, I could enlist. He said that a telegram would suffice.

My father had died in 1934, my mother was in the Midwest, and I was living with an uncle in California. It took a few months, but finally my mother sent a telegram the recruiting sergeant. It merely said that I was 17 and gave her permission for me to enlist. The telegram was stapled inside my record book. I was sworn into the regular Marine Corp on 15 May 1942 in Los Angeles, California. One of the men with whom I was sworn in had figured out that I was underage, but he never told anyone, as far as I knew. My high school coach, the dean of boys, and my mechanical drawing teacher also knew that I was underage, but they wished me well.

As I said, the recruiter knew that I was only 15, but I believe that anyone who could walk and talk could enlist at that time.

Orville E. “Yank” Sumpter—he goes by his nickname, “Yank”

Age 15—United States Marine Corps

From the book, Veterans of Underage Military Service, edited by Ray Jackson

G. Mark Sumpter

Earthquake!

Remembering Sourdoughs along with March 27, 1964

I used to ride my bike along this area in Anchorage. We call it Earthquake Park now. Peggy and I would take long walks along various paths of what was once a neighborhood. We’d make our way on down to the edge of the Cook Inlet.

Back on March 27, 1964, Alaskans saw TVs shake and turnover and then crawl across the living room, and houses and cars and towers tumble and crumble. I used to stand next to the inside wall of the house, as a quake would hit, and I could watch the wall twist and turn like a copperhead slithering away into the woods.

Alaska has 12,000 earthquakes a year, more than any other state in the Lower 48. “One of those struck Alaska in March 1964, a 9.2-magnitude disaster that killed 131 people, including 16 in Oregon and California. And it wasn't the quake itself that caused most of the fatalities. As in the Japan disaster [last] year, it was the tsunami. The earthquake and resulting tsunami were especially destructive to the town of Valdez, where 31 people died.”

From the Anchorage Daily News

Many stories, many shared experiences surround the ’64 quake.

G. Mark Sumpter

Presbytery—the Work of the Church, moving “Like a Mighty Glacier!”

Jack Phelps, thanks for the pix!

Last week, the Presbytery of Anselm of the CREC met in the Matanuska Valley, Alaska. What a shot—huh? In high school and then later in ministry years up there, we used to climb around on this giant—as do so many Alaskans. Pastor Jack Phelps serves Covenant Bible of the CREC in the Great Land.

This is the Matanuska Glacier; her sprawl is able to be seen at about mile 90, 95 or so on the Glenn Highway.

G. Mark Sumpter

Sabbath House

The blessing of gathering to ready ourselves for the Lord's Day

One of the most impressive things about traveling to Israel last year centers on their Jewish sabbath-keeping. Noteworthy is the attention given to food. Set your watch by the celebratory merry-making and communion of the meal on late Friday afternoons.

Jeremy and I noticed the tables in the main receiving hall at the Kibbutz where we stayed were moved, and the computer was put away. The stainless steel warmers came out brimming over with prepared yummies galore. I will always treasure the Sabbath preparation and celebration; it all started at about 3:00 P.M.-ish.

The Hebrew class we were taking made a point of having wine at our Friday, Shabbat class. Our teachers were all evangelical folks from States-side evangelical colleges and seminaries. Loads and loads of fun and learning.

On our side of things in Grants Pass, we've been having Sabbath House from 6:30 to 9:30 P.M. on Saturday evenings. We've been going at this since last September, 2009. People drop in, and can come and go as they please. We share a meal, sing hymns and psalms, read a story and play games. It's been great!

G. Mark Sumpter

Did Someone Say Resurrection?

When one of your kids blasts the puck in from 20 feet out, you take notice

Resurrection for the World

Jesus did not rise from the dead in order that you could go to heaven when you die. He could have accomplished that without rising from the dead. If the point is merely going to heaven or having some kind eternal, happy existence then Jesus could have gone straight on up to heaven from His death, with no need to rise from the dead.

No, the resurrection of Jesus occurred so that we might rise from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead so that this entire world might rise from the dead. Jesus came healing, befriending, casting out demons, and exposing all evil, violence, and oppression, and this was not just a big show to prove that He was really God. He was really God, and He was really God come to bring the Life of God to the world. Healing, feeding, building a community of love and sacrifice, this is the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit, and Jesus rose from the dead in order to make that life fill and renew this world.

From Toby Sumpter, thanks son. You can read the whole thing here.

G. Mark Sumpter

CJ Bowen and Lisa Jackson Wed Tomorrow

Open letter of blessing, love and encouragement

Dear CJ and Lisa,

Tomorrow, God willing, you unite in the bond of covenant love, fidelity and service. Peggy and I are giddy for you both. We wish we could be there. Being witnesses within the public arena for a wedding affirms once again that our God continually—in a seamless way between the home and the church—boosts our faith and devotion. Your covenant making tomorrow at 1:00 PM nudges us all into greater and greater covenant faithfulness. We’ll miss your own vow-exchanging and the emotion and joy!

I know that both your parents will beam with you with a radiance of Christ’s good pleasure as they see the two of you united in marriage. Parents are particularly grateful and blessed to see this benchmark in life. Their own fruit of the labor of their loins, hands and hearts experiences a treasured aspect of the harvest. Parents value the ability to see the fruit of their hands. Resurrection hope gets fortification at weddings! Their own joy will be the complete sharing in yours—amen!

I wish somehow, CJ, that the two of us would have been able to meet face to face, and give one another a chest butt and share a beer. I have heard glowing testimonies of God’s kindness to you—with imparting to you His gift of grace and His many gifts of service within the Body of Christ. Continue on, son of the covenant, and grow in the Lord’s love and sacrificial service unto the King.

I exhort you brother with Ephesians 5: 26: imitate your Savior, and take the words of promise, blessing, cheer, comfort, hope, forward-looking anticipation and more and more, and wash your dear bride. I take the meaning of the word “the washing of the word,” in vs. 26 to mean the words that we speak to our wives as daily rituals of thoughtfulness, the everyday routines of the words of kindness and favor. Jesus told Peter and the other eleven that smaller cleansings are needful—the everyday kind like the feet: “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean…” The daily washings are the ones that are timely when she’s tired, discouraged, defeated and so on with respect to her faith and service. As you do this to Lisa, CJ, you’ll remind yourself and her of Christ’s work of redemption. Our Lord Jesus has washed us with His blood, we act upon His finished work washing and bathing with His Word of hope for growth in His sanctification. Wash her, brother! Grab your towel and basin and speak words of hope, life and faith. She will always have a sparkle in her eye and a kick in her step when she hears encouraging words from her prince.

My dear Lisa! I am almost in tears thinking about you today! I can remember doing the Bible study at Chapelgate Christian Academy in Maryland maybe 10-12 years ago, and I would see you around the school and various places with your school buds. I remember your bouncy step around your home in Glenwood. You always had a smile on, and I can remember the fun you had with our kids—especially with Toby. I have treasured your model of godliness of self-giving service. No doubt, you follow your folks on this. Your thoughtful ways of the little things for others are vivid in my mind. Yes indeedy, you’re a help-meet to the 10th power! Lisa, honor your man by contributing to his station in life. You’ve been privileged to gain skill in practical service at your own occupation in the past 2-3 years now, and I am sure that practical service will be a lift for your man and it will serve as a resource from which you will draw. Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ in your role of being the soil of humility, submission and service. It’s your soil of such things—being low, being a servant without words, see 1 Peter 3:1-6—where he is most influenced for growth. Be the soil in which CJ’s roots can go down deep for strength as God raises him up with growth to be a strong oak of a man.

To you both: may the Lord Jesus Christ be the supply of truth, life and faith as your lives are dedicated to His honor. May He enable you to hold fast to your good confession, to practice your oaths of loyalty that you make to one another tomorrow, and that you might walk in His service as husband and wife displaying the testimony that God has sent His Son for saving love, power and renewal.

Amen and Amen—in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Have a glorious day tomorrow!

Yours, in the Glad Tidings of Christ’s Love,

Dad Sumpter

G. Mark Sumpter

From Boys to Men

The Day that Tretiak, the World's Star (Soviet) Goalie Sat Down

Here is Jim Craig standing in victory.

His counterpart the veritable iron curtain of a goaltender, Tretiak of the Russians, back on this date, sat down.

Near the very end of the first period of the Miracle Game at the Olympics between USA and the Russians, our player, Christian, blasted a long shot at Tretiak, and he blocked it rather easily and yet, he coughed up a rebound.

That's when American Mark Johnson spanked it in. There was controversy about the goal because it happened right near the time of the buzzer. After the officials conferred, the goal was confirmed a bona fide goal, and it was also ruled that there was one tick of the clock left for the end the first period.

The Soviets, who had skated off the ice for the intermission, thinking the period was over, were called back out for a faceoff. The one tick expired. But noticably absent was Vladislav Tretiak. He had been benched; the world's best goalie had been replaced by the Soviet's number two man. Wow.

Today marked the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team's Miracle on Ice. The young Americans had upset the Soviet Union! Days later, TEAM USA won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY!!

I stopped over at the rink in Northeast Portland shortly thereafter and was beaming. It was a win that was way, way over the top.

My closest reach in trying to touch the 1980 Olympians was skating one scrimmage against Eric Stobel in 1976. Eric played forward for the Miracle Team. He's wearing number 19 in this picture above.

G. Mark Sumpter

Kamloops Hockey, One More Time

C.J. Stretch, a Hot-Shot Forward for the Kamloops Blazers, Reflects Back

Go here to read the 20-year old's take on the road trip his club just completed. His comments include words about the game on February 3, when several of us from Grants Pass cheered him on.

Part of his comments give a shout about his SPECIAL fans!

Fun stuff!

G. Mark Sumpter

A Poem From Our Number Three Boy

For Logos School

Jesus School

It might come as a surprise but Logos is in

The business of healing the sick.

Healing is a high calling;

It’s what Jesus did most of his life.

Although, when he worked,

He didn’t have the air-conditioning

Or the polished basketball court

And the people he healed

Didn’t wear ties and jackets

Or skirts and blue sweater vests.

But none of that bothered Jesus;

He simply walked all over the country side

Like he owned the place

Telling people what to do:

Telling the blind to see walking trees,

Telling the lame to run the mile,

Telling the deaf to hear His disciples,

Who seemed to enjoy counting all those baskets of loaves and fish.

He even told the dead to open their eyes

And roll out bed

So they wouldn’t be late for school.

And yes, back in the day, Jesus was a student too.

He even attended a Greek class taught by the Apostle John

And on the first day of classes John told him:

“Jesus, in Greek class, your name is Logos.”

And it stuck.

So, here we are today, Jesus School,

Where the hungry are fed,

Where the crooked handwriting is made straight,

And where Mr. Garfield and Mr. Whitling sit with

First and Second graders at lunch time

Just like Jesus, who feasted with little boys

Who ran around at recess using sticks for guns.

And it’s the same everyday:

The ears of the deaf are opened to hear the Holy Sonnets.

The eyes of the blind are taught to see Classical Allusions.

The mute’s tongue is loosed to give a Confirmatio.

The feet of the lame are taught to run in Lacrosse.

The hands of the cripple are taught to shoot free throws.

And the bodies of the dead are given new life.

Jesse teaches at Logos Christian School in Moscow, Idaho. HT from his blog, The Descending Blue.

G. Mark Sumpter

Heroes Have a Right to Bleed

Five For Fighting Prep for the Game

Tomorrow night, the Lord willing, several of us from Grants Pass are going to a Kamloops-Portland WHL, Junior A game. Yow-za.

I’m looking forward to meeting a forward for Kamloops, C.J. Stretch. He’s a relative of family in our Grants Pass area. This picture and the one below is C.J.

Right now, I’m listening to singer John Ondrasik (On drah sick); he’s likely most famous for his hit Superman (It’s Not Easy). His band turns heads with the name Five For Fighting. Ondrasik, a southern California boy, loves ice hockey. He’s an LA Kings fan. The Five For Fighting handle comes from the infraction of having to sit down for 5 minutes in the sin bin (a.k.a penalty box) after the fisticuffs.

Ondrasik on hockey:

NHLF: You spoke on the NHL Live radio show about how you think hockey is the greatest live sporting event in the world. What do you most enjoy about going to NHL games?

JO: The speed, grace, and violence make hockey the most intriguing “in the arena” sport to watch. There's nothing more exciting than a NHL playoff game in OT where one play can decide a series.

G. Mark Sumpter

Happy Anniversary, Peg

God is our Faithful God, We're Grateful for 32 Years

Here's a picture of First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage, AK where 32 orbits-around-the sun ago, on this very day, about 150-200 friends and family filled the pews to witness the vow-taking of two young folks--Gregory Mark and Peggy Kay. Dr. Thomas R. Teply, our pastor, officiated. Richard and Patty and Yank and Phyllis looked on with love, hope and blessing.

This shot right below is standing near the Earthquake Park area, the Turnagain Area, and looking back on the city of Anchorage. This area, along the Cook Inlet, is where Peg and I spent many hours taking walks. Good times. Great memories.

Peg is my very best friend, true love and help-meet; and a counselor with balanced insight. God has planted deep faith within her, and she shines with a faithful light for service to Him in His church! What a treat to be able share in life!

G. Mark Sumpter

Mr. Zamboni

Sumpter Lore

At 5:00 AM every morning, five and six days a week, for a year, I drove this puppy. That was back when Tonya Harding skated as a six or seven year old. I prepped the ice for her workouts, when she was a little snotty nosed kid. But more important---much more important---I worked on the ice for the Rusty Blades league. These old timers were a boot-sized kick in the pants to watch them hustle up and down the sheet.

It takes a village of Rink Rats to make it all happen. I was Rink Rat at the Anchorage Sports Arena from 1972-1975. Good times, super cool times.

G. Mark Sumpter