He has established educational scholarships for Veterans within the State of Florida’s college system and has formulated and implemented policies for persons with disabilities.

As Executive Director of the Florida Department of Disabled American Veterans he has personally trained hundreds of DAV Service Officers, who daily provide services on behalf of Florida Veterans in obtaining their earned benefits from the Veterans Administration. Many of these DAV Service Officers are physically located within the VA Hospital system.

His commitment to Veterans and others is reflected in his participation in forming and implementing policies for persons with disabilities. This lead to his commission by Governor Jeb Bush to be a member of the Florida Commission on Veteran Affairs in 2002.

On a local level Mr. Linden is a participating member of many Veteran organizations. He has served as Chair of the Alachua County Veterans Service Board and serves as a member of the Gainesville Energy Advisory Committee. He is also an active member of the Gainesville Veterans Memorial Committee which has established or maintains over 50 Veteran Memorials in this area.

Mr. Linden’s military history is as impressive as all of his other accomplishments. He volunteered for combat duty as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam in October 1965. While flying a mission with the U.S. Army’s 121st Aviation Company, he was hit by an enemy machine gun bullet that caused amputation of his right leg below the knee. He later returned to active duty, becoming the first leg amputee in Army history to be returned to flight status.
Pete Sabo, Commander, DAV Gator Chapter 90, Gainesville, Florida.
 
Education:

• Graduate of Waterman High School, Illinois, 1955.
• Graduate of University of Illinois, BS, 1959 with Honors.
• Graduate of American University, MBA, 1969

Employment History:

• Albert H. Linden, Jr. served as a U.S. Army Artillery Officer and helicopter pilot after graduating from the University of Illinois in 1959.
• After leaving the Army in 1969, he worked as a computer programmer for the ASSIST Corporation, the Bureau of the Budget and the Office of Management and Budget (0MB).
• He joined the Federal Energy Office in 1973 and was assigned to the Data and Information Office, a precursor to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), where he served as EIA Deputy Administrator. As Deputy for the Energy Department’s EIA he supervised more than 500 employees and administered an annual budget of$80 million dollars.

Advocacy on behalf of Veterans:

Since the Vietnam War, Al has been active in organizations focused on Veterans and the disabled.

• Commander of the Maryland Department of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), 1980-1981
• DAV National Vice Commander, 1982-1985.
• Upon his retirement from government service in 1985, he assumed the elected position of National Commander of the one million-member DAV.
• In 1987 he accepted his current duties as Executive Director and Treasurer with the Florida Department of DAV. He has personally trained hundreds of Florida DAV Service Officers, who daily provide services and document Veteran benefits assisting Florida Veterans in filing claims to obtain their earned benefits from the Veterans Administration.
• 1990 – Present: Moderator of the Florida Joint Veterans Planning Group.
• 1998 – Present: Member, U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs Management Advisory Committee and its Home Health Care Advisory Board.
• 2002 – 2005: Member, Florida Commission for the Transportation of the Disadvantaged.
• 2003 – Present: Chairman, Florida Veterans Commission.
• 2005 – Present: Member, U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities, established in June 2004 to advise the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
• Member and Treasurer of DAV Gator Chapter 90, Gainesville, Florida.
• Serves on the Scholarship Selection Committee for Bridge-Scholarships at Florida Santa Fe College and supports the Florida Veterans Entrepreneurial College Program at the University of Florida.
• Mr. Linden is a participating member of many Veteran Organizations such as the DAV, Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) and served as the Chair of the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners Veterans Service Advisory Board.
• He is a current member of the Veterans Memorial Committee for Alachua County.
• As a member of DAV Gator Chapter 9Q he was instrumental in establishing a kitchen for the University of Florida Veteraps College Success Center in Von Hall.
• On a daily basis he provides counseling, advice and mentorship to numerous Veterans in the Gainesville, Florida area.

Civic Activities and Contributions:

• While serving as Deputy Director of the Department of Energy he received the President’s Meritorious Rank Award, citing him as the “architect of the Nation’s energy information system”.
• 1988 -1999: Member, Gainesville, Florida Energy Advisory Committee (GEAC), which advises the City Commission on energy policy matters and reviews the continuing work of the Energy Management and Consumers Affairs Department.
• 1988 – Present: Member of the Department of Veterans Affairs Sunshine Health Care Network (VISN 8) management Advisory Committee.
• Previous member of the Agency for International Development (AID) about the interests of persons with disabilities in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance.
• Current member of the VA VISN-8 Transportation Advisory Committee.
• Currently serves as Chair of the Islands Finance Committee and on the Islands Board of Directors and elected Treasurer, a 179 member- owners condominium association.
• He is an active member in his Church.

Awards and Honors:

• President’s Meritorious Rank Award.
• Elected as Department of Maryland State Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 1980-1981.
• Elected as National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 1985-1986.
• He became the first leg amputee in U.S. Army history to be returned to flight status. He flew more than 300 combat missions and recorded over 400 hours of combat flying time in Vietnam.
• He holds the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal w/ seven oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart and several other military honors.