Windal Stanley

March14, 1925- November 1, 2011

Windal Stanley, 86, went to be with the Lord peacefully on November 1 after a brief illness. A resident of Fort Lauderdale since 1980, Windal was born in Mansfield, Arkansas on March 14, 1925 to Ores and Edith Stanley.

Retired from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Colonel, Windal had a distinguished career for 27 years through three wars. Entering WWII at the age of 18, he served in Patton's Army in the anti-aircraft battalion protecting the invation from deadly Nazi airplanes starting in France and fighting all the way through Nazi Germany and eventually meeting the Russians in Austria. In Munich at the young age of 20 Windal was promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major , making him the youngest Sergeant Major in the Army at the time. In the Korean War Second Lt. Stanley commanded a postal unit and in the Vietnam War he was assigned to U.S. Army headquarters and as Postmaster was in charge of all Postal units in Vietnam making him a vital link of communications between troops in the field and families at home. Lt. Col. Stanley served two tours of duty in the Pentagon, and was also a diplomatic courier for the White House during the Big Four Conference in Geneva. In 1967 Lt. Col. Stanley was awarded the Legion of Merit (Commander degree) for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.

In the Adjutant General 's Corps Stanley distinguished himself through outstanding meritorious service as Deputy Adjunct General, Headquarters, United States Army Field Artillary Center and Fort Sill. By his singular managerial skill, decisiveness and executive ability, he contributed immeasureably to the smooth accomplishment of the mission of the United States Army.

Stanley was also a member of the Scimitar Shrine for over 50 years and is survived by Michael Lockwood, his companion of 36 years, and his sister, Dovie Jeans of Amarilla, Texas.