Tom Lumpkin:
CLASS OF 1971
Nathan B. Forrest High SchoolClass of 1971
Jacksonville, FL
Webster UniversityClass of 2000
Jacksonville, FL
University of North FloridaClass of 1984
Jacksonville, FL
Jeb Stuart Junior High SchoolClass of 1968
Jacksonville, FL
Jefferson Davis Junior High SchoolClass of 1966
Jacksonville, FL
Tom's Story
Life:
Tom Lumpkin: Born Ashburn, GA 07/15/52. I attended Public Schools in Jacksonville, Callahan and Green Cove Springs, FL. JAX: JEB Stuart JR. High, N.B. Forrest High School. Excelled in Academics and Athletics. Declined scholarship, Gordon Military College.
Sept. 1971 Entered USAF, Basic Training, Lackland,AFB, San Antonio, TX, Air Operations Specialist, Aircraft Dispatcher. Permanent Stations; Dec 1971 Holloman, AFB, Alamogordo, NM. May 1972 (TDY-Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Takhli Thailand). Aug 1973 - Nov 1974 Incirlik CDI, Adana Turkey, 1974-75 MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL (Sgt. USAF). US Cities and foreign Countries worked in and visited while in the military ranks: TX, NM, AK, WA-DC, VA, OK, NJ and NY; Countries, Canada (Goose Bay Labrador); Mexico (Juarez); Thailand (Takhli, Bangkok, Nakan Swann); Japan (Yakota, Okinawa); France (Paris); Germany (Munich, Frankford, Rhine Main); Italy (Naples); Portugal (Azores); Spain (Madrid); Greece (Athens); Turkey (Adana, Ankara, Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir, Sinop, Balakishire, Eskeshire and Diabakirk); Iran (Tehran); Syria (Aleppo, Damascus); Lebanon (Beiruit, Tyre, Baka Valley); Ethiopia (Addis Abbaba). Completed 4 years of military service, Sept.1971-75 (Sgt E-4).
1975-97 Jacksonville Sheriff's Office: Police Academy, Asst. Class Leader & PT Inst. Patrol / Detective / Hostage Negotiator (5 Yrs). Instructor at Police Academy / Intelligence Officer. Received over forty letters of commendations from supervisors, peers and citizens of Jacksonville. Nominated for Police Officer of the Month for outstanding performance, three seperate occassions (Received Merrit & Award Citation April 1987).
1997-Present: JM Family Ent. Inc. / Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC. Manager, Corporate Security, Jacksonville sites; Southeast Toyota, Talleyrand Av, Westlake-Pritchard Rd., Parts Warehouse Dist. / JM Family Ent. Bayberry Rd, Toyota Dist. Center, Commerce, GA., World Omni Financial Corp, Mob, AL and JM&A Group National Accounts.
Travel with Company business units: Europe, Canada, MX, Caribean Isl. & US Cities. Introduce security and safety counter measures for associates.
Areas traveled and worked in the US: FL, GA, AL, MO, CA, NV, CO, WY, HI & NY.
Areas traveled and worked outside the U.S: (97) Puerto Rico; (98) U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, St. Johns, BVI, Yost Van Dyke; (00) Ireland: Shannon, Kilarney, Cork, Dublin. England; Hollyhead & Chester; (01) Italy: Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan, & Pisa; Austria; Insbrook. Germany; Munich. (02)Bahama Islands; Atlantis. (04) Italy; Rome, Vatican, Florence, Naples, Sorrento, Capri & Pompei; (05) Monaco; FRA; Cannes, Neice & Italy, Ventamagillia. MEX; Cuncun (06) Canada - Vancouver/Whistler (07) Maui, Honolulu, HI;(09) Cabo San Lucas, MX (10) USVI, Nasau, Bahamas (11) Barc, SP, Cann, FR (12) Paris, Normandy, France. Vancouver, Whistler, Canada
Post H.S. Edu: AA FCCJ, Aug 80. BA University of North Florida, May 84. MA Webster University, Jacksonville Metro Campus, May 00.
Married Cheryl Whitaker, Aug 1972. Two children Samra Lumpkin, 03/76, Aaron Lumpkin, 04/80.
Daughter: Samra M. Lumpkin, Grad. N.B.Forrest 94; UNF, BA Education, May 05; Married Brian Poole, 05/15/05, Club Continental, Orange Park, FL. Emp. Teacher, Jax. Ele. Schools, Brian Emp. by Catapillar. G-Son, 04/03/08,Benjamin Lee Poole.
Son: Aaron Van-James Lumpkin, Grad. N.B. Forrest 98; ITT Technical Institute 00, AS Electronics; Employed Bellsouth (00) Married Lindsey Burke 10/15/05, G-Sons, Ethan John Thomas Lumpkin, 02/06/10 Jacob J-T Lumpkin.
Membership professional organizations: American Society for Industrial Security, JAX Port Authority, Security Executive Sub Committee / Company Security Officer CSO for Southeast Toyota Port (Assist USCG - Homeland Security). 200 Club of Jacksonville, International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Board of Directors: 2008 Morocco Shrine Center - Divan President / Chairman of the Board. 2011-12 City of JAX, Retired Employees Association Pres; First Coast Crime Stoppers; Inclusion Strathmore's Who's Who for Leadership; Years 00, 01 and 04,05; Cambridge Who's Who 07, 08, 09.
Schools
1959-61: Dinsemore Elementary, Jacksonville, FL
-First Grade, Mrs. Crews
-Second Grade, Mrs. Barker
-Third Grade, Mrs. Johnson
Developed German Measles
Missed excesive days of class, 7 weeks, repeated Grade.
1962: Callahan Elementary, Callahan, FL
-Third Grade, Mrs. Baker
1963: Jacksonville, FL, Hogan Spring Glenn
-Fourth Grade
1964-65: Charles E. Bennett Ele. Green Cove Spgs., FL
-Fifth Grade, Mr. Selik, The pianist teacher who loved to fly model airplanes. He made our entire class participate in theatrical plays in front of the student body.
-Sixth Grade, Mr. Lewis loved my fishing stories and Mrs. Dasie Mae Holt, she was hot.
1966: Jeff Davis Jr. High, Jacksonville, FL
-Seventh Grade, HR, Coach Davis, Guido
Module classes begin; Sink or swim and I wanted to play.
I meet neighborhood friends
.George Lee
.Dennis Croft
.Bill Baird
.Steve Henry
1967-68: JEB Stuart, Jr. High, Jacksonville, FL
-Eighth Grade, HR, Mrs. Flowers
Thank You Mr. Hill, for calling me out of my HR class and giving me an inspirational talk on becoming a leader. I did not know why you singled me out but your talk was well received.
-Ninth Grade
Coaches Logsdon, Baker and Rankin were very inspirational.
In 2004 I ran into Coach Rankin at the Windsor Park Golf Course. After coaching at Stuart he entered the Navy in 1970 and climbed to the rank of Captain. He looked the same but expressed retirement.
1969-71: N.B. Forrest High School, Jacksonville, FL
-10 Grade
-11 Grade
-12 Grade
High school athletics was my passion, AD-Coach Jerry Disch, Football; Joe Parker, Wrestling; and Ralph McPhillomy, Track.
1971: USAF Basic Training Class, Lackland AFB, San Antonio,TX
Boot Camp, Sept 19, three months.
1975: St. Leo College, Tampa, FL
1975: Police Academy, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
580 hr course, 3 months
Police Services Courses
1979-80: Florida Community College
May 80 AA Criminal Justice
1982-84: University of North FLorida
May 84 BA Criminology
1998-2000: Webster University, Jacksonville Metro Campus
May 2000, MA Security Management
USAF 1971-75: A degree within itself "Grow up or go home".
I received the following ribbons, medals and citations.
Nominated NCO Quarter, Southwest Asian Theater (April 1974)
-Presidential Unit Citation, Ribbon, 2 Oak Clust (Holloman AFB 72)
-Outstanding Unit Ribbon, 2 oak leaf clusters (Holloman AFB 72-73)
-National Defense, Medal (Lackland AFB 71)
-Southeast Asia, Medal (Takhli, Thailand, RTAFB 72)
-Good Conduct, Medal (MacDill AFB 75)
-Overseas Short Tour, Ribbon (Incirlik, Turkey 73-74)
-Longevity, Ribbon (MacDill AFB 75)
-Outstanding Marksmanship, Ribbon (Incirlik, Turkey 73)
College
1974
St. Leo College, Tampa, FL. I picked up valuable hours toward an AA degree.
1976
Police Academy: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office; Assistant Class Leader and P.T. Instructor. 580 Hr Course, 3 months.
1979-81
Florida Junior College, Jacksonville
AA Criminal Justice
1982-84
University of North FL
BA Criminology
Instructor-Jacksonville Police Academy: 8 yrs
Hostage Negotiator: 5 yrs
1998-2000
Webster University, Jacksonville Metro Campus
MA Security Management
Workplace and My Sand Box Yrs:
1964: I worked on farms in the NE Florida area at the age of 12 and had to obtain a SSN to continue working. My father was a firm believer in hard work. After school and on weekends, I would cut fields with bush hog mowers late into the evening hours, lift 100 lb bags of feed for cattle, mend barbed wire and wooden fences. $1.15 hr.
I met a neighbor and life long friend, George Lee who also didn't mind hard work. George began working with me and my boss, Clarence Wells approved. I received a lot of influence from my Father, Monroe; older brother Melvin and Clarence Wells. They are gone now, but I often reflect upon how I appreciated these men for their strengths and character.
1967: I worked with my bro. Jim Lumpkin on a construction site at London Town Apts.(Gateway Concrete Contractors). I was to young to drive so I rode with him. This was hot & challenging, working with adults, $1.75 hr. I worked the summer and saved enough money for school clothes and a weekend stay in St. Augustine Beach. Surfing & partying with, George Lee, Dennis Croft and Bill Baird. We thought we were adults; assaulting the Fort at Castelia San Marcos, great vacation.
1967-68: I began playing controlled sports at JEB Stuart Jr. Hi; Football, Track & Field. I would always place in the track meets and later would set a county record in the discus throw, only to later be beaten by Dwayne Taylor from Paxson. My record stood for 10-15 yrs. in the Discuss and Shot Put.
1968: I later obtained a job with a friend, Jr. Foreman, his mother, Ellen, owned The Chicken Box Restaurant. Junior showed me the ropes preparing commisary items and later the cooking rituals; chicken, hamburgers, steaks and TACOS. Ellen had the best Taco recipe. I prepare this meal today. Work ethics were easy to come by especially after the hard field work that I had experienced. $1.35 - 1.75 hr.
I would grow a lot mentally and physically for several years while working in the restaurant. In the evenings I would exit football practice and run to work. Ellen didn't like me coming in after practice, but she tolerated this until one day she told me that she was selling the business. I began working at Wishbone Fried Chicken. My girlfiend Cheryl, would come to the restaurant and wait for me to get off work, we would go to drive in movies or just ride around and visit friends in parts of the city.
1969: I was a sophmore at Forrest H.S. Coach Jerry Disch, Joe Parker, Chuck McPhillamy and Fred Girgis were like step fathers; always giving me sound advise. Coach Girgi...Expand for more
s asked one day what I was doing for the summer break. I told him, looking for a day job. He said you got one, Call James Lloyd who owned Gateway Pools & later Crystal Pool Co. I took the advise and was working for the coming summers. Pool work was very laborsome and dirty. I would continue this work ritual for the next two remaing summers of my high school years, $1.75 - 2.75 hr.
I later inform James Lloyd that I had turned down an athletic scholarship to attend Gordon Military College, Barnesville, GA. He offered to double my pay if I would continue working. He wanted to teach me more of the trade and I was eager to learn. I enjoyed working for James and he treated me well.
1971-1975: USAF, See military bio.
Year Salary $10,800.
1975-1997: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
I began working 3 wks after exiting the military in the Correctional Field ($10,400.yr) I worked steady without days off to pay for my wife and new daughters doctor bills $1,366.67, now a proud parent. Accepted and graduted with honors, JAX Police Academy; Assistant Class Leader and PT Instructor; Received plaque.
I worked in the patrol Div. (1976 - $19,800.) for 4 yrs. & developed close friends. I trained 8 rookie officers (Wilson, Beauchamp, Peacock, Carter, Campbell, Hotard, Simmons) prior to being promoted to the Det. ranks. I worked in Burglary 3 yr, Robbery 12 yr. & Intelligence 3 yr. ($60,500.)
1997-Present: JMFamily Enterprises, Southeast Toyota Dist. LLC ($) I Love my family, life & job.
Military
My first Assignment from Basic Training 12/71: Holloman Air Force Base, NM. Assignment; Air Operations. The base is located 100 miles North of El Paso, TX and 13 miles West of Alamagordo, NM. The weather is hot and arid with wind and snow storms. The base is located on the desert basin floor between two mountain ranges 4,500' above sea level. Occassional nose bleeds from the altitude and dry climate.
I arrived at the base like a fish out of water. Nearly Christmas and the weather was getting cooler, some snow fall. I went through base brieffings and schools in the operational filed and was surprised that I liked the field of duty. The operations officer was stunned one day when our first shirt came in and said that he wanted the whole outfit to begin marching on the parade filed. I was later selected to a Prime Beef Team & National Riot Control Squad that would be deployed during the event of emergency.
The Ops. officer had the new personnel drive to the Socorro range to witness groups of F-4 Phantoms doing low level runs and GPS bombing readings from a wooden control tower. The Phantoms passed the tower off the deck and the tower almost came down. We toured hangars in the desert where round disc were observed hanging from cranes. The disc appeared to be test material of a sophistocated nature. I never questioned this and only took it in stride. The U.S. is the world leader in the forms of flight and supersonic speed projects. I would later become an observer from an OH-58, UH1H helicopters that witnessed land speed records from rocket sleds. Holloman had one of only two sleds in the free world. I would later become a courrier and delivered secrets.
In May of 1972 President Nixon mined the harbor in North Vietnam's, Hiphong Harbor. One half of the base was deployed to support the 100, F-4 Phantom aircraft that was dispatched. Approx. 1500 troops along with myself made the trip, Takhli, Thailand (RTAFB).
Prior to deployment all base personnel were put on alert and instructed to pack clothing for a tropical climate deployment. Joe Elliott and myself were selected for the assignment and received orders to report to hangar one for shots. Two lines, several air guns blazing with plenty of anti "everwhat" injected into our arms. One poor sole flintched in front of me and sustained a deep cut to his upper arm.
I learned and grew a lot during the deployment and had to become a double person, reviewing maps and memorizing charts of Southeast Asia . Working continuous 12 hour shifts, dispatching war planes to vectors across Southeast Asia. We had three pilots that lost their aircraft during the deployment but no aircrews were lost from the 49th. One pilot ejected over the gulf after receiving anti aircraft fire. One pilot on a low level run around the DMZ rode his air craft into the jungle and walked away from the wreckage. One pilot punched out after having maintenance difficulties. All three pilots lived to give comments of their heroics. I had the opportunity to converse with one pilot who ejected over the gulf who was in simi shock. I drove him over to the command post for de-briefing.
During Operation Linebacker other aircrews across southeast asia were not so lucky. 48, B-52 Bombers were lost flying missions from other bases. Exponentially the USAF losses went up with each aircraft crashing. The USAF did see their first ACE of the war, read in the USAF Times magazine.
The Operations officer liked Joe Elliott and me. He came in one day and said that he liked our performance and he was flying the two of us to Bangkok for a 3 day R/R. Operations was resupplied by personnel from DaNang Airbase and he kept his word. We obtained our civilian clothes and flew on his C-119 to Bangkok for three nights. The Windsor Hotel was full so we were put up at the Miami Hotel. We saw the sights and visited many memoriable events. We had a friend who worked at Dam Rong Airbase in Bangkok who showed us the night life, WOW.
I would venture into the Southeast Asian Jungle and elephant grass. Become drentched in the May monsoon weather, receive chow from canisters and canteens, made sure I took my daily; salt tablets, sulphur and quinine pills. After staying in the theater for months I believe that I was changing color from the sulphur pills.
August 25th, 1972, I returned to NM from Deployment and vacationed in FL; married my High School sweatheart, Cheryl Whitaker. After returning to NM, we would take brief weekend trips to the local towns and see the sights. A special treat was to venture into Las Cruces, NM and Juarez, MX on pay day weekends. Eat the mexican food and see the locals.
I purchased a 350 Honda for additonal recreation and transport. We would pack a lunch and head for the mountains, fish the streams for trout and ride on the desert in search of Indian artifacts; White Sands, Dog Canyon & Cloudcroft.
I also met many friends and transitional personnel while assigned at Holloman. Best friends; Lynn Metheringham, Joe Elliott and my favorite civilian person, Mr. Oliver O'mara, Ollie was the best. Retired USAF Colonel, he knew everything and if he didn't, I Did. I learned of many worldly events that changed my life while working at the base.
On fat Friday's, I would fly with Army Ops on missions in OH58 and UH1H helicopters over the Socorro and Condron ranges. I would monitor rocket launches on the rail sleds as they broke new land speed records. Monitor equine movements on the open ranges while assisting with mail drops at the remote sites. Inspect secure locations at the Trinity Site (1940's Atomic Bomb explosion site - device created by Mr. Oppenheimer with Mr. Einstein Atom splitting discovery). The sand got so hot at ground zero that it melted and turned to glass, satin green in color. A monalith was erected on the site that still stands today, inscribed with names of individuals who dedicated their life to the project. The site is still considered hot and only opens two day a year for visitors.
Assignment-Turkey: First arriving in country, it was like going back in a time machine 1000 years. The Turkish culture is very different than life in America. The climate of southern Turkey is similar to Jacksonville but not much rain. Recreational areas: Lake Adana, boating and fishing; Visiting Mediteranian coastal villages, farmland and lots of sights to visit; Exploring unprotected Castles from the crusader era.
I received military temporary duty orders to Karamasel, Istanbul, Turkey and visited other cities; Mersin, Iskendrun, Konya, Izmir, Balekisher, Eskeshire, Diabakirk, Alexanderia, Antioch and the Capital, Ankara. I had additional assignments and trips to Aleppo and Damascus, Syria; Beiruit, Lebanon; Addis Ababba, Ethiopia; Tehran, Iran; Madrid, Spain; Naples, Italy and Athens, Greece. I had offers to stay overseas but declined. Command wanted me to extend on assignments, Germany, Australia and New Zeland.
Oct.74: I received Military orders for MacDill AFB and departed Turkey. I arrived in Tampa, FL Nov. A new assignment and loved the area, it was close to home. Cheryl and I would travel the weekends with friends and made a decision to exit the military life. Exit USAF 09/23/75, no job.
4 active yrs, 8 military ribbons and citations.
Reflections; I have truely been blessed with my family and friends. I have always had an ignmatic drive to further my thirst for knowledge and adventure. I believe this was defined early in my years of school when I struggled to read properly and I began taking reading courses on my own to further my reading ability.
I now write articles for magazines and sometimes am asked to lecture and give advice on security related counter measures. I have been an instructor in the field of criminal justice, a police negotiator and even had cameo appearances in two films.
I am not through yet, and will continue to make a difference in my families life and others that I may touch. God Bless America and for what our great country stands for Internationally. We are a beaconing glimmer of hope for the rest of the word. If you do not think so, travel internationally and see how people gravitate toward Americas positive role in the world market.
If you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got. Thanks, TL
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