The photo above is Manuel Zamora of Stembridge Gun Rentals demonstrating a gun designed for Howard Hughes.

Manuel Zamora with Stewart Granger in 1952 looking over weapons for the film “The Prisoner of Zenda”

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“I was cleaning out a home today and found a box of letters and photos dated in the 1940′s. They were letters to a Frederick T. Dickie at Stembridge gun rentals at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The photos were of lots of neat guns and of some people whom I asume are related to the gun shop. I guess I’m wondering if anyone is interested in seeing this stuff.”

I wrote back of course, and said yes! Here’s what Jim found!

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Over the years, James continued looking for and purchasing guns of all make and style and he became the leading armorer for the movie industry. Even though they rented firearms to all the studios, Stembridge Gun Rental was housed in a secure warehouse on the Paramount lot until 1979. The backbone of the business was its manager Fritz Dickie, who reigned from 1927 until 1974.

On Dec. 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor underway, there was an immediate shoring up of the coastal defenses. On that same day the commander of Ft. MacArthur in Los Angeles called Stembridge and told him that he didnt think there were enough firearms at the fort. Stembridge immediately sent over several hundred rifles and more than 50 Thompson sub-machine guns.

Amazingly, when the war was over, all of the weapons were returned. Can you imagine a government agency being that reliable today? Stembridges contacts with the War Dept. paid off because with demobilization came the disposal of thousands of military firearms and Stembridge acquired enough to stock a movie army at scrap-metal prices.

By the 1980s, Stembridge had more than 10,000 guns in their armory. Unfortunately, the settlement of a family estate forced the sale of 400 of their historic guns, those used by legendary actors. Publishing magnate Robert Petersen bought them for his personal collection. Now his estate is auctioning them as noted in the article preceding this one.

The Stembridge Gun Rental is still in business and is operated by Syd Stembridge, grand-nephew of the founder. But times have changed. Many studios are using model guns now that can fire blanks designed to give a cinematic flash. Providing customized blank cartridges has long been a big facet of Stembridges business.

Most of this information was provided to Firegeezer in a personal interview with Syd Stembridge.

(article from Bill Schumm’s website: http://firegeezer.com/2007/06/04/stembridge-gun-rental/#more-274/)

* Received some new items from Corlett Zamora this evening, who is looking for information on her Father, Manuel Zamora. Here’s a card that had her fathers name mentioned. If you have any information about Manuel Zamora, please leave a comment below so we can be in touch! Thanks!!!

We were able to visit with my Dad Roer Stembridge, and Betty, and also my brother Jim and his wife Heidi, and even Heather! Mike my youngest brother was a little under the weather, so we did mss him, and Ed and Beth, Chad and Tyler too far away to break away for Thanksgiving. We’ll see them all at Christmas.

Oh, we also have a new catamaran that a friend from church gave us. Can’t wait to get her up and running!

We’ll post some more updates. Lorretta and I are both on facebook, please look us up!

We heard many stories before arriving; one of the first was about Sveta, who accepted Christ at the ESL camp a couple years ago, and had been transformed by the the Gospel!

Sveta – accepted Christ at a previous ESL Camp (picture by Olga Dovgan)

In the Ukraine, many young people that embrace anything outside the Orthodox (state) Church are looked upon as taking part of a cult. Sveta was one of these students that God was using to reach her family, and many people who didn’t know or understand Biblical Christianity. Later we would meet student after student that had experienced this. It was a joy for all of our team get to know Sveta during our week at camp. She was so eager to serve, and had such a Christ-like demeanor. She was abiding in God’s Word!

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

The church in Voronkov, where the camp was hosted.

Voronkov was the village that that the camp was located in, and about 45 minutes southeast of Kiev. The terrain was much like rural Georgia, with field after field, and few mountains. It was green and beautiful. We passed a very long sunflower field on the way in.

Sergey and his wonderfully vibrant wife natasha had really worked hard with the details we knew little about. The had prepared all sorts of activities to get the students excited about the week. There were fun icebreakers led by Niva, wife of Day Wysong, and wonderful praise music mornings and evenings. There were daily excerise times, and the students were even given a short nap time. It was really about building relationships, and showing the love of Christ to those who had never experienced it.

David teaching with Debi Cockerham (picture by Bradley Atkins)

As we worked through the week’s lessons, using the 7 wonders of the world as a precursor to the 8th wonder…. which was each of us, created by a Great God, we had many opportunities to answer questions about our faith.

There were 2 university students named Andrey and Igor that came to what they thought would be a music festival. They found out just before the camp…. that it was a Christian language camp; but came anyway. While they felt a little like outsiders initially, towards the end of the week, they were experiencing something I believe that neither had experienced, the love of Christ. They asked questions, debated, and keep being involved, and having fun.

Igor and Andrey doing some good reggie at the campfire

The last night, Andrey let me wear his “magic hat” and asked me about my views, and let me share my testimony with him. Many seeds were planted, and I believe many of these young people’s faith, as well as many on our team (including myself)

Lorretta and Olya, a young lady who was baptized just a couple months ago, after embracing Christianity

As for Lorretta and I, it was a busy; but beautiful week, and we were both ready to sign up for next year before the end of the week! In the meantime, we will hone in our skills while working with the new hispanic ministry at our church, preparing to do ESL this autumn. There’s also great opportunities to keep in touch and encourage (and be encouraged by) our new dear friends thanks to the internet!

The Ukraine is one of the many places that was “untouched by the reformation, and people there live with no real knowledge of what True Christianity really is. We hope that through our actions, and friendships, we will have opportunities to share the “hope that lies within us”

Sergey and Natasha Bochko lead the Open Hearts Church, and have been doing much of the ground work for us in the Ukraine. We however, have had the “exciting” task of preparing for the week long curriculum!

So, please keep us in prayer, we’ll have a camera, and hope to shoot some footage; but the real goal is sharing the Light of the World!

more top come…

Letting Go by Susan Bunts Wachtel

So much of life
Is learning to let go

Letting go of people
Who will leave long before I’m ready to say goodbye

Letting go of expectations
Of how I think someone should act

Letting go of my will
Accepting God’s will for my life

Letting go of a dream
Without letting go of hope

Letting go of sorrows
Putting my hope and trust in God

Letting go of my way
Choosing to put others first

Letting go of my sin
Remembering I am dead to sin and alive to Christ

Letting go of bitterness and hurt
Applying the healing balm of forgiveness

Letting go of envy
Filled with gratitude for what the Lord has given me

Letting go of hatred
Walking in love

Letting go of the past
Living in the present

Letting go of taking the easy way
Willing to endure for that which is of eternal value

Letting go of fear
Taking courage in the Lord’s presence

Letting go of failure
Believing that God will redeem my past

Letting go demands for deliverance on my schedule
Instead praying for the grace to endure

Letting go of faithlessness
Asking and believing God for the impossible

Letting go of my timetable
Trusting God and His perfecting timing

Letting go of  ”Why God?”
Asking “What will You do through this Lord?”

Susan Bunts Wachtel
January 27, 2009

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence…

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.