Captain Lester L. Westling Jr., USN (ret.) “has been an Episcopal Priest for over a half century. His vocation encompassed years of parish ministries in California, missionary service in the Philippines, and as a Navy Chaplain. He volunteered for military service to serve in Viet Nam, and spent two chaplaincy tours of duty in-county. First he served with the Third Marine Division medical and infantry battalions, then he returned as a circuit riding chaplain for 65 combat units throughout the Mekong and Bassac River canals and along the Cambodian boarder. He served with the fleet, and retired from Naval Service after 26 years with the rank of Captain. Among his many decorations, those awarded for com at include the Bronze Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Combat Aircrew Badge, and the Submarine Deterrent Patrol Pin. Father Westling is married with three adult children. He earned the postgraduate degrees of Mater of Divinity, Master of Arts in Pastoral Psychology, and Doctor of Ministry, and has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1975. He belongs to a number of professional and veterans organizations, and is a Son of the American Revolution.”

Lester L. Westling is the author of All That Glitters: Memoirs of a Minister and When Johnny/Joanie Comes Marching Home.

According to the book description of When Johnny/Joanie Comes Marching Home, “Preparing for reunion by the deployed service member, as well as family members left behind in the homeland, is crucial for the success of sustaining longstanding, happy relationships, and even for retention in the military. Now, women who deploy in ships-of-the-line and as warriors in field combat, return to their own families. Their needs are new to the Armed Services, this book addresses those needs and offers excellent tools by which successful homecomings may be achieved.”

According to the book description of All That Glitters: Memoirs of a Minister, “In this unique collection of high adventures and broad experiences of this pastor-in the civilian church, as overseas missionary, in hospitals, and as combat chaplain-there are to be found many lessons for laypersons, clergypersons, the Church, and the military as well. This minister's family contributed in great measure to his life. In retrospect, struggles in the unfolding scenario and over a half-century of ministry are traced to the foreknowledge of a Higher Power who yielded great rewards to him and to those whose lives contributed to this story. The author urges his readers to observe the same influence in their own journey in order to make good use of it.”