He graduated from high school and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in July 1914.

While in this capacity, he was promoted to lieutenant commander on June 5, 1930, and joined the staff of Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet under his old superior Admiral Jehu V. Chase three months later.

[5][1][2] Stone was ordered back to sea duty in mid-March 1944, when he was appointed commanding officer of the newly commissioned battleship USS Wisconsin at Norfolk Navy Yard.

He commanded the initial training at Chesapeake Bay and then led Wisconsin during her shakedown cruise to Trinidad in July that year.

[6][1] He successfully commanded the ship during Typhoon Cobra in December 1944 and participated in the naval operations during the Philippines Campaign in early 1945.

[5][1][8] Following his return to the United States, Stone was appointed Director of Naval Communications and promoted to rear admiral on January 8, 1946.

A few months later, with the advent of a new Secretary of Defense, Louis A. Johnson, and a change of position by the Air Force, the Navy grudgingly went along with the unification concept.

[1][2] In May 1949, all cryptological activities were centralized under a national organization called the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) and Stone was appointed its first director.

[5] He was then ordered to Paris, France, for duty as director of communications at the U.S. European Command Headquarters under General Matthew Ridgway.

While in this capacity, Stone assisted in the training of the French Navy and was made Officer of the Legion of Honour by the Government of France.

He eventually became the director of the Allen Knight Maritime Museum, which is dedicated to preserving the old fishing and whaling days in Monterey.