Longtime Navy chaplain honored for service to his country, faith
The Military Bible Association is dedicated to supporting military personnel through biblical resources, spiritual encouragement and the preservation of military chaplaincy heritage. It recently commemorated what would have been the 106th birthday of Captain Stanford E. Linzey Jr., a Navy chaplain.
Linzey, a survivor of the Battle of Midway and a distinguished Navy chaplain, helped establish an extraordinary family tradition of faith, spiritual leadership\ and ministry to America’s armed forces. Serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown he participated in two of the Pacific War’s most consequential naval engagements — the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 and the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
A subsequent calling to Christian ministry led him into the United States Navy Chaplain Corps in 1955, where he devoted his career to the spiritual welfare of sailors, Marines and their families. Commissioned as a Navy chaplain, he paired his firsthand experience of wartime service with pastoral leadership and a deep commitment to the religious needs of military personnel. He attained the rank of Captain in July 1972 and continued serving with distinction in the Navy Chaplain Corps until his retirement in October 1974.
READ: A Poor Man’s Friend: Medicine on the American Frontier
His experiences as both an enlisted sailor and a senior chaplain reflected two complementary dimensions of a lifetime of duty — participation in one of America’s defining naval victories and a vocational legacy providing spiritual care to those serving their country.
“Captain Stanford E. Linzey, Jr. represents a remarkable tradition of service to our nation,” said Commander Manuel A. Biadog Jr., a recipient of the 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. “Having survived the Battle of Midway aboard USS Yorktown, he went on to dedicate his life to the spiritual care of our service members. His journey from the dangers of naval warfare to a lifetime of ministry reflects the courage, faith and commitment that define military chaplaincy. That his legacy continued through three generations of military chaplains makes his story especially worthy of remembrance.”
Three of his sons followed him into military chaplaincy: Captain George W. Linzey, Chaplain (Colonel) Paul E. Linzey and Chaplain (Major) James F. Linzey, U.S. Army. Together, these chaplains have contributed about 112 years of combined military service across three generations in the United States Navy, Air Force, and Army. Their collective history illustrates an unbroken continuity of faith, pastoral leadership and commitment to the spiritual care of American military personnel.
–Lee Hartman | Metro voice
PHOTO: https://navylog.navymemorial.org/linzey-stanford
