‘Virtual’ Avenue of Heroes Banner Ceremony Held Nov. 7, 2020
The City of Coronado held a very special Avenue of Heroes Banner Dedication Ceremony “virtually” on Saturday, Nov. 7.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City and Avenue of Heroes Committee postponed the first of their twice-annual Hometown Heroes ceremonies of 2020 -- traditionally held in May and November. The decision was made to hold the canceled spring ceremony in November via Zoom.
At the Nov. 7 ceremony, 16 Hometown Heroes were honored. Each has a banner hung along Third and Fourth streets, Coronado’s official Avenue of Heroes and a designated Blue Star Memorial Highway. The City, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Avenue of Heroes Neighborhood Association, the Hometown Banner Committee and the Coronado Historical Association worked together to develop the Hometown Hero Banner program in 2014 to recognize those who call or have called Coronado home and who have honorably served their country.
The Hometown Heroes banner ceremony has become such a beloved program by those who help plan it and those who have ever attended a ceremony or been honored. It was a difficult decision to have to postpone the May event but organizers held out hope that there would be an in-person ceremony in November. With many gathering restrictions still in place, a virtual ceremony was the only way forward.
Organizers made the event as special as it could be. Each honoree’s biography was read and, during the reading, there was a video-photo essay of each honoree presented. This included their banner, as it appears along the Avenue of Heroes, up and down Third and Fourth streets between Orange Avenue and Alameda Boulevard. Banners were installed the first week of November and will remain up for six months, until the next ceremony. They are provided free to the families or honorees once retired from the Avenue of Heroes.
The virtual ceremony was held via Zoom. View the ceremony by clicking here and checking the Coronado TV lineup or visit the City’s YouTube channel.
The City is actively accepting nominations for future banner candidates. In a town known for its military presence, Coronado has plenty of candidates. Find an Avenue of Heroes program brochure here.
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