Retired Army chaplain still ministering for veterans

Retired Army chaplain still ministering for veterans
By Melissa Bower
Fort Leavenworth Lamp
Posted Aug 23, 2012

Chaplain Gary “Sam” Sanford feels strongly for veterans coping with post-combat issues and wounded warriors.

After all, he’s dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder himself as well as ministered to Soldiers for more than 30 years as an Army chaplain.

“Stuff from the past, you can never completely bury it, you never completely get rid of it, and that’s why I’ve got a heart for these guys dealing with PTSD, because I deal with some stuff myself,” he said.

Sporting his unit insignia-covered “God Rod” at military ceremonies, funerals and events, the 6-foot-4 chaplain is hard to miss. Although he has a couple of “God Rods,” the original was carved by a Soldier from the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Polk, La., in 1989. It began as a long wooden walking stick with a vine wrapped around it — originally a snake. The 5th were called the “Red Devils.” Over the years, military friends and Soldiers to whom he’s ministered have given him so many unit insignias that his original staff, like the chaplain himself, is coated in U.S. military history.

A retired colonel, Sanford served as an Army Reserve medic for six years before joining the Army chaplaincy. Wanting to be a youth minister, Sanford realized he could serve the largest youth group in the country — the U.S. Army. He served as an active-duty Army chaplain for 30 years.
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