It’s been 22 years since California had a representative serve as National Vice Commander for the Western Region.  This year James T. Higuera of Downey, Calif. was elected to that position. 

He was born in Los Angeles, enlisted in the Army in 1963, and has been a member of The American Legion Department of California since 1966.  His signature mustache and affinity for funny socks announce his wry personality, but it’s his lifetime of genuine compassion for helping veterans that has made him a leader in the national organization. 

“It’s been a lot of years for me, and I can honestly tell you I’ve been involved every one of those years in one way or another,” Higuera said.

He went into the Army on Valentine’s Day in 1963 and was assigned to the U.S. Army Security Agency, 12th Special Operations Unit Kuma Station, Japan.  “So … we did a lot of spook work,” was all Higuera said of his Top Secret work in the Army.  He was away from home almost the whole three years: in Massachusetts for schooling for about a year, then transferred to Japan for the duration of his enlistment. 

He was honorably discharged in January 1966 as a Specialist Five and started school on the GI Bill.  He attended LA City College, taking engineering courses until he transferred to Woodbury University to study business administration. 

Higuera’s introduction to The American Legion happened shortly after he got out of the Army.  He took his brother’s car to a local auto shop in East LA, and the mechanic, who would become a Legion mentor to Higuera, learned he was a veteran and invited him to wait across the street at the local post until the car was ready.  Higuera was greeted at the post by a group of World War I veterans who would come over in the morning hours to play cards to pass the time.  When they found out he was eligible to join, they gave him an application and told him about a meeting that night. 

“I got initiated by the Commander, Pat Weiland, a terrific guy, he lived to be 101 years old,” Higuera explained. “I got to introduce myself and where I served and all this.  And he [Weiland] said, ‘OK fine, next time we see you, next week, you better bring a buddy.’  And every member after that they told, ‘When you come back you better bring somebody with you.’”  Their numbers of Vietnam vets started to grow, and in less than a year, Higuera got his first job as Adjutant of Post 323 in East Los Angeles.  He put in his dues, went through the chairs, and became the Post Commander in 1972.   

Higuera worked up to the district level where he has served as chairman of various committees, elected and appointed offices, and was elected district commander in 1994. His Legion journey eventually led him to Downey Post 270 where he served as commander and is now a Paid Up for Life member.

He was commander of the Los Angeles County Council of The American Legion in 1999, and Department Vice Commander in 1996. He has served as department chair of many commissions and committees.

Higuera started getting involved at the national level in 1999 when he was appointed to the National Convention Commission.   “Man, oh man, that was plum.  It was really nice,” he said.  “I got to go on site visits to different departments, and there were like three or four departments that wanted the convention about five years out.  We’d give them the once over on everything and make our report.”  Higuera’s involvement at national continued with his appointment as National Historian in 2009, and his service on multiple national committees while attending more than 35 national conventions.

He has taken this year off of the commissions to focus on his duties as National Vice Commander for the Western Region, but will return when his term ends.  One of five vice commanders elected as representatives of the national commander, Higuera is expected to visit every one of his assigned departments at least twice during his year.  The first visit is to put out the commander’s message, ‘No veteran left behind.’  “Buddy check is more than a telephone call,” said Higuera. “It’s about that personal touch.”  

The second visit is to go to individual posts and push membership.  “We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m scheduled to go to Montana the end of the month, and then on to Tuson, AZ for their fall meeting.”  There are membership challenges to overcome that Higuera believes also relate back to the National Commander’s theme of ‘No veteran left behind’, and affording this incoming generation of veterans the welcome, help, and camaraderie The American Legion has been providing for more than 100 years.        

In 2015, Higuera was inducted into Pasadena Post 13 Sons of The American Legion Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 2012 at American Legion Post 13 to recognize members of the Legion Family and American citizens whose contributions to The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of The American Legion and/or American veterans and their families who have been significant, substantial and longstanding. Given his long and dedicated journey of service within the American Legion, it should come as no surprise that Higuera was chosen as one of the earliest inductees.

In addition to his Legion family, Higuera has two daughters, Valerie and Hilary, and six grandchildren.   He is joined in service of the national organization by his number one sweetheart Denise Conrad who is a past Department of Ohio American Legion Auxiliary president, and is currently American Legion Auxiliary National Community Service chair.

Author: Michael Hjelmstad