Five Chaplains From One Family Across Three Generations Honored on Veterans Day as Stained-Glass and Bronze Memorials Are Finalized
WASHINGTON — The Military Bible Association announced on Veterans Day, November 11, a special commemoration titled The Five Legacy Chaplains, honoring five members of the Linzey family who served as military chaplains across three generations. The family's active-duty service spans a cumulative 112 years, connecting the Battle of Midway in World War II with contemporary operations across the Armed Forces.
The five chaplains served across the Air Force, Army, Civil Air Patrol and Navy. Family patriarch Capt. Stanford E. Linzey, Jr., CHC, USN (Ret.) (1920–2010), an Assemblies of God pioneer, survived the Battle of Midway aboard USS Yorktown (CV-5), was promoted to Captain in 1972, and conducted some of the largest Easter Sunrise services in Navy history. His son Capt. George W. Linzey, CHC, USN (Ret.) (1951–2020) was the youngest Captain in the Navy Chaplain Corps and served as chaplain for the U.S. Naval Academy, where he built the Navy's largest chapel program, serving 7,400 sailors.
The later generations are Chaplain (Colonel) Paul E. Linzey, U.S. Army (Ret.), a combat veteran of Iraq and author of The Safest Place in Iraq; Chaplain (Major) James F. Linzey, U.S. Army (Ret.), chief editor of the Modern English Version Bible translation and composer of the U.S. Space Force hymn; and Lieutenant Commander Christopher J. Linzey, CHC, USN, a third-generation Navy chaplain currently delivering spiritual care to Fleet Marine Force units and warships.
Highlighting the release is a previously unreleased 2005 letter from Admiral Vernon E. Clark, then Chief of Naval Operations, written directly to Stanford Linzey to commemorate his Midway service. Clark wrote that what binds today's Sailors and Marines with those who went before is a fierce devotion to service.
To permanently preserve this heritage of faith and patriotism, the association has finalized artwork for specially commissioned stained-glass and cast bronze memorials titled The Five Legacy Chaplains, co-designed by James F. Linzey and Deborah Lewis, featuring portraits of all five chaplains anchored by a depiction of USS Yorktown at Midway.
Source: Military Bible Association
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：海军上校随军牧师 Stanford E. Linzey, Jr. 官方肖像（1974年摄于 Moffett Field 海军航空站）。照片：美国海军官方照片（公共领域），经军事圣经协会发布。 / Photo: Official portrait of Capt. Stanford E. Linzey, Jr., CHC, USN (NAS Moffett Field, 1974). U.S. Navy photo (public domain), via the Military Bible Association.
