Commander John Aldridge being capped during the American Legion Department of California convention in Visalia, Calif., June 23-25. (Photo by Henry Sanchez)

John H. Aldridge was elected commander of the American Legion Department of California during the organization’s annual convention June 23-25 in Visalia, Calif.

Aldridge was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa., where he completed his education at Benjamin Franklin High School and enlisted in the Air Force on October 31, 1974. Following six years as a Fuels Specialist, John transitioned to become an Air Passenger Specialist. After finishing his technical training at Sheppard AFB, he was assigned to Travis AFB, CA Military Airlift Command.

In 1987, while stationed at Travis, John joined The American Legion, Post 182 in Suisun City. In 1990, he was chosen for a special duty assignment at Philadelphia International Airport, overseeing air passenger operations.

Upon his retirement from the Air Force in November 1994, John immediately started working for Aquasis Services Inc. as a Quality Assurance Inspector for a government Air Transportation operation contract at Philadelphia International Airport. On September 23, 1995, he married Karen Scott in Sacramento and relocated to Fairfield, CA. Subsequently, he managed an Air Terminal Security contract at Travis AFB before being employed by the Department of Defense (USAF) in the Air Transportation career field. He retired from government civilian employment in 2016.

John is a lifetime member of the American Legion, serving with distinction in various roles, including Commander and Adjutant for Post 182, Commander and Chaplain for the “Mighty” 5th District, and Department Chaplain for four terms. He later transferred his Legion membership to Yountville Veterans Home Post 306 to support members there with Legion programs and projects.

John’s academic background includes an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Management with a focus on airports. He is also a graduate of the National Legion College. Aside from his involvement in the American Legion, John works closely with other Veteran organizations in his community and is an active member of Liberty Church in Fairfield.