Herbert Frederick Aldridge

Herbert Aldridge was one of the countless unsung homefront heroes who provided vital support ot the Navy and to Naval Aviation during WWII and the Korean Conflict. As the Director of hte Lithographic Division, U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office he was responsible, in conjunction with the Naval School of Preflight and the U.S. Naval Observatory, for the publication of many of the books, charts and other publications that helped our pilots learn to navigate and find their way. Among them are H.O. 216, Air Navigation, The Air Almanac and H.O. 249, Sight Reduction Tables for Air Navigation. During the war years the job was 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. His work inspired an enthusiasm for aircraft and flying in his sons; John, who has worked for the Naval Air Systems Command in combat survivability and is currently with the Operational Evaluation Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses and Robert who flew as a U.S. Marine pilot and airline pilot.