Linwood Earl “Lindy” Blackburn Jr. was the first child of missionary parents Reverend Linwood E. and Johnsie Hyatt Blackburn. He was born in Quessua, Luanda, Angola and lived and was home schooled in the small missionary community for his first 10 years. He and his small band of missionary kids were an adventurous lot: building tree forts, playing games, enjoying the beach, and exploring their environs near and far, often to his mother’s chagrin!
Lindy was 10, and his sister Jan was 5, when their father was selected to serve on the Board of Methodist Missions in New York City. The family settled in Norwalk, CT. Lindy didn’t miss a beat moving from remote Africa to upscale suburbia. The family grew with the arrival of Claudia (Tootie) and Billy, and Lindy was his mother’s dutiful helper. Nevertheless, he found time to earn Eagle Scout, letter in track and football, become a masterful skier, make the National Honor Society, serve as senior class president, and accept an appointment to West Point from Congressman Donald Irwin, 4th District of Connecticut.
Cadet Blackburn’s priorities were soccer, skiing, and chapel. “Swift and strong” was Coach Palone’s description of his two-year starter at right fullback. He served on ski patrol and as a ski instructor. He found the Cadet Chapel perfect for his spiritual growth. Lindy believed the West Point experience—exemplified by “Duty, Honor, Country,” the Cadet Prayer, and Honor Code—sealed his character for a life of service to faith, family, and country.
Lindy became an airborne, Ranger Armor officer and served in the 3rd ACR before completing helicopter training and deploying to Vietnam in 1972. As U.S. combat units returned home, he flew primarily in support of U.S. advisors and South Vietnamese forces through tough times and major battles. He would lead his crews in praying Psalm: 91 before each mission. (“You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day…”). His was one of the last U.S. combat units in Vietnam. He flew his final mission on the last day of 1972 and went home days later, just before the Paris Peace Accords took effect.
Two weeks later he married Barby Lasky, and they shipped out to Friedberg, Germany. The highlight of that tour was the birth of daughter Mandy in February 1976. Son Dusty was born in November 1979 while Lindy was earning a master’s in operations research at Virginia Tech. After a utilization tour Lindy was happily back with troops in 2AD from 1982 to 1984. Fort Hood, TX was alive with excitement: fielding modernized equipment, trying new organizational concepts and testing new how-to-fight doctrine. Lindy’s was right in the middle of it all as the S-3 of 2nd Brigade, the first modernized force to fight at the National Training Center.
As classmate Jim McDonough remembers: “The whole Army was watching! He handled all these challenges adroitly, always with his signature smile and calming manner. I admired his coolness under fire.” Two years later after school assignments Lindy took command of 4-67th Armor in Friedberg. He served with distinction and witnessed the opening of the inter-German border. After a year as IG for the 8th ID, he attended the Naval War College, followed by his final assignment as the chief of combat assessments for USSOCOM. Colonel Lindy Backburn (Retired) worked for Perot Systems and later as a realtor in Denver, CO.
Faith and family were Lindy’s bedrocks. “Bless be the tie that binds.” He relished being a big brother, was “good with babies,” and attended nearly every important family event. Billy was three when his brother left for West Point, yet he consulted with Lindy on every major decision in his life and chose him as his best man. Daughter Mandy said: “Dad was a patriot, a dearly loved husband and father and a servant of God. He was a wise soul and a bit of a Peter Pan—he didn’t want to ever grow up.” Lindy was the kind of man who dropped everything to rush to the side of a grieving friend. He was quiet, thoughtful, and a great listener. And he was fun, with a dry wit and a mischievous streak.
Sadly, he and Barby grew apart and divorced in 2002. He later met Tanne Aspromonte; they married in 2006, and another wonderful adventure began. Lindy was the perfect guy to blend two families into one. He became a positive father figure for Tanne’s son, Scot, and daughter, Ann. Lindy was blessed with six grandchildren and a great-grandson.
His life continued to be defined by service to the West Point Society of Denver, to prison ministries, and to many others. He was the energy behind the annual Memorial Day commemoration in Parker, CO. He was fully engaged at Emmaus Anglican Church, including serving as treasurer. His most unique ministry was the parish leadership program, “A Leader After God’s Own Heart,” which he co-authored with his pastor and a friend. In 2017, they went to South Africa to present their program to several large assemblies of pastors. The trip was a big success, capped off with narrowly avoiding the turmoil of a coup in Zimbabwe as they departed.
When hospitalized with COVID-19, Lindy actively communicated with dozens of well-wishers. To all, he repeated this message from Joshua 1:9, “Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.” Once again, Lindy was calm in the face of fire. His life of loving service causes one to believe that these words from Psalm: 91 are entirely fitting:
“I will deliver him; He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in his distress…and will show him my salvation.”
— Bob St. Onge and the Blackburn family