London was born to Harry R. and Evalyn P. London. London’s mother said his family came from "pioneers and dirt farmers", including a great-grandfather who participated in the Land Rush of 1889. His maternal family came from Illinois and Missouri and his father’s family came west from Tennessee and Maryland. A student of history and genealogy, London traced his family lineage back to Samuel Nicholson, a Continental Navy officer during the American Revolution and commanding officer of the USS Constitution, for whom he created the Captain Samuel Nicholson Naval and Marine Corps History and Leadership Award to honor a graduating Naval Academy midshipman in 2014.
