Dr. Theodore Letis - LCMS Pastor - On Your Precious NIV and ESV

 

Here is the page of Theodore Letis talks and books, all about defending the KJV.

Triple Venue in the Means of Grace - And Some Come to Our Chapel, Too

 

This is our current state in broadcasting:

The live stream is at the Vimeo location for Bethany Lutheran Church. I will start it at 9:30 AM Central Standard and talk about important books until the 10 AM service begins. 

When the service and Bible study is over, I send it to two social medial platforms:

1. My Facebook Page called Bethany Lutheran Worship, TLH, KJV

2. My YouTube account - Gregory Jackson

We will have Wednesday Advent services.

Travis and Lauren Cartee are downloading videos from IBM/Ustream for editing. I will get a link up to access the old videos. Google blogspot has made it different to change the top of the page, but it can be done.

All Bethany Lutheran 

Media Ministries

ALPB Online Forum Does It Again

D. Engebretson

• ALPB Contribution Leader
• 
• 
• Posts: 4692
• •   
  

Lutheran Forum - Preacing (sic) 

Today - Reverence for the Words 

that Proclaim the Word

« on: Yesterday at 05:25:10 PM »

Pastor Don Engebretson
St. Peter Lutheran Church of Polar (Antigo) WI, LCMS

***

GJ - The great, distinguished minds of the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau Online Forum have a long thread about preacing (sic). One author is an ELCA pastor who reminds everyone daily that he was or is a journalist. The thread continues for pages with this spelling. 

I can understand why one of their ELCA peers, who posted 10,000 times, was arrested on felony charges yet no one discussed the case.

The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2021.

 

The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Vimeo Link to Live Stream and Past Videos

The Hymn #  11                 Safely Through Another Week                      

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Oh, come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.

For He is our God: and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Psalm. Oh, come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of Thy faithful people that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of Thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual   

Thou hast delivered my soul from death: mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

V. I love the Lord: because He hath heard my voice and my supplication. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. With Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light. Hallelujah!

    

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #236                Creator Spirit By Whose Aid         

              

Defeating Satan with the Word

The Communion Hymn #  307            Draw Nigh and Take the Body of the Lord   

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #199      Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

In Our Prayers

Pastor Jim Shrader - in treatment.

Randy Anderson has a small cyst on his lung.

Anita Engleman just had a birthday.

Those being mandated to receive the Covid shots - more than you can imagine.

Colossians 1`:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Matthew 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

Defeating Satan with the Word

Introduction

We live in strange times, when most people trust every word but the Word of God. Nothing is more powerful, because the Spirit works with the Word at all times. Nothing else comes close to that power, so it is Satan's design to make everyone distrust that power and question whether that can ever be true. 

What Luther taught from the Scriptures is the divine efficacy of the Word. If Satan is so powerful and has so many tricks to play, the Word is 100,000 times more powerful. That is in the Large Catechism, Book of Concord, and ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS supposed agree completely with that confession of faith.

What we do not know or have forgotten or have mistrusted, that very thing - the Word - is left unused when given to us for our use, benefit, and above all - protection.

Matthew 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

This is a miracle taught in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, each having slightly different but not contradictory details. "A certain ruler of the synagogue" is Jairus, and we can be sure that he remained a believer after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here he casts all his worries on His faith in the Savior. His daughter was at the point of death and the father is thinking of her healing, whether almost dead or already gone. Jairus confessed his complete faith in Jesus. And why not? What is more powerful than the divine touch? The Creator healing His creature.

We should always remember the children's confession when asked - "How could Jesus do this? Walk on water, heal the sick, raise the dead, turn water into wine?" Children always say, "He is God. God can do anything." How much that is eroded by the criticism, sarcasm, doubt, and foolish humor of today! That should be the first thing we think of, not the last.  

19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 

This woman's disease caused endless discomfort, as the other evangelists point out. It also made her unclean in Jewish law and custom. The hem, according to Lenski, was a tassel on the back of the  religious garment Jesus wore. Pharisees loved to have big showy tassels that pointed out their high station in life, much like the professors with fake doctorates (DMin) who insist on being called Doctor and wear the stripes and regalia associated with publishing actual research.

This ordeal plagued the woman for 12 years, and that is a terrible length of time to suffer. As the evangelists point out, she wasted a lot of money on medicine and only grew worse from the treatments. Medicine has not changed much.

 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 

Her trust in Jesus was so great that she only needed to touch His garment to enjoy His divine healing. We can find all kinds of similar tokens today, though they are not connected with Jesus, but show trust in many other things without any power at all. 

An early church father pointed out - "If a woman could trust the edge of Jesus' garment, how much more effective is the Body and Blood of our Savior?"

God's Promises, chiefly forgiveness, but many other blessings as well, are connected directly with Holy Communion.

We also see in this miracle an example of Jesus' power being available simply because He is passing through an area. That is no different from the Gospel preached and taught as it moves through an area, via a fixed church location or a broadcast. The true Gospel is not simply about Jesus Christ - it is the Word Incarnate, the Two Natures united in Christ. The pastor at the sickbed is just as powerful as the risen Lord if he brings the Gospel, teaches faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith is access to the grace of Christ and should never be downplayed, belittled, or mocked. That is why children, who seem to be all faith, are so joyful. They do not have the adult-installed blockages and detours.

23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

As we know from experience, there is seldom a  moment of dramatic death for an individual, but a series of steps toward the reality. The official mourners are part of many cultures. They make a racket even if they do not know the person. This was an influential person, so the mourners would have been especially dramatic, and they would have felt sorrow for the young girl.

25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

The maid arose from death - and the story went out everywhere, promoting faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10 - faith comes from the the rumor, the report, the hearing of the Gospel. People cannot keep quiet when they know someone has come alive through Jesus Christ,

The Word of the miracle, by itself generates faith because the Word is Christ and has the power of the Holy Spirit to plant and nurture faith.

Believers Beat Down the Demonic

Satan works in a thousand ways to take us away from the Savior and dwell on the dungeons below. Luther has a good story about a religious leader starting a ceremony to keep a Satanic figure away. Then he says, "What is he? A nothing. I do need a ceremony. Begone and don't come back." And the plaguing figure disappeared.

The military has a colorful figure which I won't use, but it means - stop dwelling on and obsessing about evil, defeat, and all the mistakes of past and present.

There are paid workers who are doing things, such as noise-making at odd times, just to wear down and un-nerve people. 

I recall sightings of scary clowns in the recent past, and there was a run of photos of giant clowns scaring children. It only took a few reports and/or photos to get the news running about these events. 

Curiosity draws people into such pagan, Satanic games as Dungeons and Dragons. One of my students was good looking with a beautiful girlfriend, but he was mixed up. One day in class he was dressed normally and alert. Another day he had black lipstick, other makeup, and chains around his neck. I walked up to that group in the computer lab and said to him, "Get rid of these losers." They laughed and sneered at me. As a group they were enticing me and drawing him away from what is healthy and normal.

If Satan has a thousand arts to ruin us, God has 100,000 arts to defeat him. The company of normal, believing people is a good weapon. The Bible is 100% the Word of God, always a defensive shield and powerful weapon against unFaith.

Vimeo Should Be Fine - Live - Tomorrow at 10 AM Central Standard

 

 This is my photo for Vimeo.

I will start the service early and talk about books so people know it is up and running. And I will begin the worship service promptly at 10 AM Central Standard. If my robe is one, it is LIVE.

To distinguish myself from the other Pastor Jacksons, I am listed as Pastor Gregory L. Jackson, PhD, and my page link is embedded here. We are linked in Facebook and LinkedIn.

Waldensians - The Reformation Before the Reformation

Jean Paul Perrin wrote the following at the start of his book on the Waldenses and the other Christians of the Alps. The words should comfort us today as we have all experienced the gap between the established denominations and the true Church of the living God.

God bless you all tomorrow and always.
Alec

“God hath never left himself without witness; but from time to time he raises up instruments to publish his grace, enriching them with gifts necessary for the edification of his Church, giving them his Spirit for their guide, and his truth for their rule; whereby they may distinguish the Church begun in Abel, from that which commenced in Cain. He also teaches them to define the Church by faith, and faith by the Holy Scripture. In the midst of the most grievous persecution, he strengthens them, making them to know that the Cross is profitable, even when the faithful by means thereof exchange earth for heaven; for the children of God are not left, when massacred or burned by an unrighteous judgment, since “in the blood of the Martyrs we find the seed of the Church.”

— Jean Paul Perrin. History of the Ancient Christians Inhabiting the Valley of the Alps. The Waldenses, The Albigenses, and The Vaudois. 2021/1847. Lutheran Library.

 Waldensians burned alive by the papacy and its allies.

Response from a reader about The Bible Book: The KJV Reborn for Those Who Love the Word of God.

 

Dear Pastor Greg,

I just wanted to take the time to congratulate you on informing the world of the outstanding accuracy/dependability of the KJV translation. You have done what this journalist used to dream of. I know I'm not telling you anything but you really have the story of all time since it is important to the salvation journey of all. What a wondrous work the Lord has done through you. You’ve investigated and specified credible reasons for the total lack of credibility of certain “biblical experts” and the obvious harm they have done. I would be glad for any recommendations you may have on studying Greek and Hebrew

I now understand why I quickly got Pastor Carlton Reimer's (Zion LCMS Stillwater) attention several years ago while serving as a Sunday school assistant. I had just begun sharing a few of the differences (NIV/KJV) you listed in "Thy Strong Word" with the college-aged Sunday school class and got cut off for a conversation to be held later. He strongly recommended I not bring that subject up again. 

When and if it's convenient, I would appreciate any thoughts you may have on Jaroslav Pelikan. I had so hoped that he would have written something about his conversion to “Orthodoxy” before he died, though I doubt it would have been worthy of his former work. He especially spoke to me in “The Riddle of Roman Catholicism.”  As for other theologians, I found Richard McBrien deceptive and nuanced to the hilt. Sometimes it would seem as if he had never read the RC catechism. 

 --Jim Mitchell

***

GJ - McBrien was a liberal like most of the Roman Catholic professors at Notre Dame and its seminary. He was not that different from the mainstream Protestants and liberal Lutherans, which was a clever way to get those clergy to pope (joint Rome) or semi-pope (joint Eastern Orthodoxy). I think he was the one who asked a question from Psychology Today and apologized for using a question from that magazine, when I took the oral exam in the PhD program. Nuanced? He was a clever apostate.

Jaroslav Pelikan was a professor I saw every Sunday at Bethesda (LCA) in New Haven. He did not fit in with the LCMS or the LCA as it unraveled into what we see today. I also met his father and brother in Cleveland. 

Thank you for the kind words. I am working on the larger and more detailed second edition of The Bible Book: The KJV Reborn for Those Who Love the Word of God. This time I will take no prisoners and show no mercy for what the modernists have done to the Bible.

 Jaroslav Pelikan earned a PhD at the U. of Chicago while completing his MDiv at Concordia, St. Louis.

PS - Greek is not difficult to study. I have a series of lessons on how to learn Greek through John's Gospel. NT Greek is easy, English with funny looking letters. Frats and sororities have an automatic advantage.

I suggest Hebrew through a tutor or class. It is not as difficult as people fear, but it is quite different. Learning some will open up the Old Testament for anyone.

Thank You for the Book Reviews

Amazon directed me to Author Central, where I could read the book reviews. I was touched by the number and variety. Thank you. They are very encouraging.

More is brewing with the second edition of The Bible Book - "More pages. Fewer typos!" Yesterday I was editing and improving when I ran into an imaginary writer's block. The block was real but the facts were an illusion. I drank some pour-over coffee (Costa Rican) and set up a new place on the hard drive for a series of edits. (Never use the extension - final - because it never is.) I number them, then change by adding norma, then the almost final janie, because Norma A. Boeckler provides the beautiful art and Janie puts the final edit through. There can be 30 versions as I go along because I had an early Luther's Sermons volume that became corrupted at the end of the process. I had 350 pages gone forever, until I remembered sending it, without art, via DropBox. I retrieved that and put the art back in.

I could do the last steps for publishing, but I would only be finishing on my second book now. Frustrated perfectionists never finish  writing and they often never start. Besides, Janie is exceptionally good and I could never match her speed and perfection. Norma Boeckler's art speaks for itself, and we all love it.

In order:

1. The second edition of The Bible Book: The KJV Reborn for Those Who Love the Word of God. New Year's.
2. The I AM Sermons of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, early 2022.
3. Another Biblical book. 

 

Sassy got snarly about needing to go outside, so I obliged her. She came back in, had breakfast, and fell asleep. We had a freeze last night, so the house feels like a walk-in freezer at Tyson's. She decided the bed-warmer was better than the carpeting for her beauty rest.

The Lutheran Librarian says, "Our pets teach us the games they want to play." So true. Someone was chiding me about "still helping Sassy up on the bed." No, that is a game she invented when the legs were still on the bed. She could easily jump up on the bed but she liked to make a game of it, sitting there and smiling at me. Making the jump got harder and I did cheers to get her running up to the bed and jumping. That was so much fun that one day she made 10 attempts in a row. I sat on the bed and petted her. (That is the old part of her game.) She wanted pre-jump petting after that.

We took the legs off to make it easier for Sassy. She continued the tickle jump game. I had to nudge her with my foot to make an attempt. She snarled and barked at the offending foot and made the jump. I cheered and she barked triumphantly, "Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark." Her six-fold bark means she is really proud of herself.

I had to do this while on the phone. "Are you still spoiling her, even though the legs are off the bed?" I had to explain, "She loves the game, so I have to go along with it."

Likewise, Sassy was craving attention when I was on the phone with the Lutheran Librarian. I explained my extra duties while talking, and he said, "My cat is in my arms demanding attention, too. I understand."

 Sassy amazed people with her ability to follow directions at the dog park. The more they cheered her ball chasing and catching, placing it gently in my hand, the more crowd cheers she earned. She is more sedate now and more likely to give orders than obey them. 

A Reader Encouraged More Posts on Nutrition

 

I just left the online Old Testament class, so I opened a favorite passage in Hebrews. I cannot find the ideal soccer camp, popcorn munching, soda slurping, rock band cacophony of the missional church in Hebrews 12.

There is a junk form of everything, whether spiritual nutrition or bodily nutrition. My parents looked at vegetables as delicacies. They went through the Great Depression (and it was great because they never stopped talking about it) eating vegetables to fill their stomachs. They had animals on the farm, but FDR (Democrat) closed down both farms. They learned that they would never be full on the meat available and fast foods were raw veggies. Oh, did they love them, raw or cooked. 

We tended to screw up our faces about eating anything not on TV or served as dessert. Fortunately, Mom and Dad were soft on desserts themselves and we exploited that. I was always willing to make the whipped cream. I added my own secret ingredient, rum flavoring which made the whipped cream even creamier tasting. Mom admitted to making her own whipped cream on the farm, hiding somewhere and enjoying it herself. She knew how to rescue spoiled dairy too. 

However, we often heard at full volume, "You know what's wrong with you kids?" Pause. "What Dad?" He thundered, "You are all spoiled rotten."

I thought of vegetables as something to get past for dessert or meat. They remembered how delicious vegetables were when nothing else was there for food, because they worked hard on the farm. 

Getting into gardening changed my attitudes because there is no comparison between 

1. fresh  picked sweet corn and grocery corn on the cob, or
2. peas off the vine and peas in a can, 
3. green peppers in the garden and from the store, 
4. green beans from the vine (for some), and beans from a can
5. lettuce and spinach in the garden, the same from the store - even when sprayed.
6. tomatoes warm from the sun, dipped in dill seed, and wretched sour or watery tomatoes in the store.
7. Sweet tender carrots with crunch, and orange dried up tree roots marketed as carrots.

I enjoyed all those until we moved to Rabbit Corners, where the squirrels show off, the possums waddle around, and the bunnies eat more than their share. Five thousand carrot seeds produced no carrots at all, but the rabbits looked happy. They love carrot greens.

Shock into looking up food to suppress blood pressure came from seeing how the often neglected vegetables are loaded with nutrition and are not culprits in boosting blood sugar. They are doubly valuable, so I am aiming at using frozen vegetables and maybe farmer's market in the warm weather for that change in diet.

I will get into those in the coming weeks or years. Ideas are welcome. I get a lot of great suggestions and tips.

Dandelions were brought over as herbs, not weeds, but Scott Lawn and Garden thought otherwise. The greens are remarkably good for salads, usually without herbicide on them. The flowers are sweet enough to make wine. The roots can be used as a coffee substitute if washed carefully.

A Little Rain in the Forecast - A Lot of Rain over Three Days. Happy Hardy Bulbs

 

California Dreamin is one of those roses that people remember and talk about.

I got some clearance roses from Springhill. They were so carefully wrapped that I planted the small roses much faster than I opened them. I gave them rainwater from the barrel after planting, in case it did not rain that night.

Some rain was predicted, and we had big storm and at least one inch of rain. This morning, we had rain predicted, and it was dripping down slowly. Sassy needed her rain towel when she came back in. She always pauses for the wipe down.

Now the trees are changing color and the leaves are dropping. I am thinking of all the bulbs filling out and growing their roots for the big spring show.

One popped out (only one!) during the latest planting. The roots were out, all over the bulb, so I carefully replanted it. 

Here is a recycling project. We had an enormous pile of cardboard. Now all of it is spread over the backyard gardens where Hosta will be planted. Leaves will hold the cardboard down, with help from rain barrels. Humpback Whale Hosta is already growing next to the house.

 This hawk visited our garbage barrel bird feeders. Surprisingly, no birds came near!

 "Did I give you permission to photograph me?"

Energy Is Paradoxical -- Good Nutrition Works Surprisingly Well

I was born with a Dairy Queen cone in my mouth - instead of a silver spoon.

Being held captive in a donut shop was not exactly torture. I made the most of it and ate my mistakes.

My father spent his working life testing the products in his bakery and became insulin sensitive, prone to high blood sugars. I could see that happening with the famous A1C tests for me, a 90 day test that betrays the individual who likes carbohydrates.

So here are the changes I made in eating.

Sassy and I have eggs and toast for breakfast each day. The combo is loaded with protein and nutrition and quells the appetite that bread and sweet rolls promote. 

Daily fresh fruit is now a necessity. Oranges are the top pick. The end of the day snack is no longer bakery-centered but fresh fruit and walnuts. The walnuts are for heart health and other benefits. They are very satisfying and worth the cost. 

Ice cream is off the menu entirely and desserts are rare and small. No more diet sodas at home, period. The paradox is that sugar and caffeine provide instant energy, but they also demand replenishment for more energy until the sluggishness is alarming and A1C triggered.

Lunch is light, and supper is often chicken plus a Southern biscuit. Cheese and toast is one option. 

I like Schwan packaged dinners, but like fast food items, they are high in salt. I am just ordering frozen chicken and vegetables from them, now. And we like biscuits ready to bake.

I returned to the gym, which is handy on my rounds with Sassy. We go to the credit union, Lowe's hardware, the business store, the gym, and the post office in one grand sweep, depending on needs. Sassy loves snuggling between the front seats and getting pets at red lights. She barks and demands her dog treats at the credit union drive through, often drowning out my attempts to do some banking.

The results are good. I have a lot more energy, more strength. I have lost 64 ounces so far. I am tracking in ounces to stay motivated. Four pounds sounds like nothing, but 64 ounces! So quickly! "How did you do that, Greg?" Simple - conversion from pounds to ounces.

 This was posed in an apple orchard for the annual donut calendar. Was I eating fruit? No, I was enjoying my favorite bread donut and a Classics Illustrated comic.

I still love coffee. Costa Rican pour-over is magical, great flavor and mellow at the same time. No sugar or cream, though I fondly remember Seattle coffee with heavy whipped cream inches deep. 

Sassy and I have a little fast food, but not much. Cravings for diet cola and desserts - they are gone almost gone. Whatever I want at the moment - I cut the amounts. Fast eating is a way to be hungry from the start to finish - to be repented later. 

"Little boys eat big bites. Big boys take small bites." Why was my mother right about so many things? The truth is, when we eat less, the food is far more enjoyable and satisfying.

Later I will point out some nutrition facts. Many common foods are loaded with special, key nutrition factors.

On Veteran's Day - John F. Baker Represents Those Who Fought for Their Country

 

John F. Baker

The John F. Baker Bridge

 The funeral 

 LBJ bestowed the Medal of Honor.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. En route to assist another unit that was engaged with the enemy, Company A came under intense enemy fire and the lead man was killed instantly. Sgt. Baker immediately moved to the head of the column and together with another soldier knocked out two enemy bunkers. When his comrade was mortally wounded, Sgt. Baker, spotting four Viet Cong snipers, killed all of them, evacuated the fallen soldier, and returned to lead repeated assaults against the enemy positions, killing several more Viet Cong. Moving to attack two additional enemy bunkers, he and another soldier drew intense enemy fire and Sgt. Baker was blown from his feet by an enemy grenade. He quickly recovered and singlehandedly destroyed one bunker before the other soldier was wounded. Seizing his fallen comrade's machine gun, Sgt. Baker charged through the deadly fusillade to silence the other bunker. 

He evacuated his comrade, replenished his ammunition, and returned to the forefront to brave the enemy fire and continue the fight. When the forward element was ordered to withdraw, he carried one wounded man to the rear. As he returned to evacuate another soldier, he was taken under fire by snipers, but raced beyond the friendly troops to attack and kill the snipers. After evacuating the wounded man, he returned to cover the deployment of the unit. 

His ammunition now exhausted, he dragged two more of his fallen comrades to the rear. Sgt. Baker's selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and extraordinary gallantry were directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy. 

His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

 Defense Department

Retired Army Master Sgt. John F. Baker Jr. could have had a prominent gymnastics career, since he competed in high school and trained for the Olympics in his hometown of Moline, Illinois. But after graduation in 1966, he decided to pursue something entirely different: service in the Army and a tour of duty in Vietnam, which earned him the Medal of Honor.

Only a few short months after he began his Army training, Baker was shipped off to Vietnam with the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.  

A private first class at the time, 19-year-old Baker said he and his company went out in the jungles for weeks at a time on combat patrols. Often, since he was small guy – only 5 feet 2 inches tall weighing 105 pounds – he was tasked with crawling through Viet Cong tunnels filled with booby traps to try to lure the enemy out of their hiding spots. 

Baker had been in Vietnam for only two months, when, on Nov. 5, 1966, he and his company were called to help rescue another unit that had been surrounded by Viet Cong. On the way there they were ambushed, and the man at the front of Baker’s unit was killed instantly. An assistant machine-gun bearer at the time, Baker immediately moved to the head of the group, and, with another soldier, knocked out two enemy bunkers. 

Throughout the ordeal, Baker repeatedly assaulted the enemy and pulled wounded soldiers to safety. 

At one point, he was blown off his feet by a grenade, but he recovered and single-handedly took out another bunker, then another. 

When the battle was over, Baker had saved eight of his fellow soldiers, knocked out six Viet Cong machine gun bunkers, and killed 10 enemy soldiers, including several snipers. His courage and commitment under fire earned him the Medal of Honor in 1968, which he received from President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

Baker continued to serve in the Army until 1989, when he retired to Columbia, South Carolina. He and his wife regularly attended special events at nearby Fort Jackson, and he continued helping soldiers by working for the Veterans Administration until his death in January 2012. He was 66.

“Five-foot-two John Baker was a giant,” said Army Col. Drew Meyerowich at Baker’s funeral. “Once you got to know him, you realized he’s exactly the giant we expect to see on the battlefield. He was larger than life.” 

In August of this year, Baker was honored by U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, which named a street after him.

This article is part of a weekly series called "Medal of Honor Monday," in which we highlight one of the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who have earned the U.S. military's highest medal for valor.

Moline High School finally honored Baker - see the article here on Moline Memories.