Avenue of Heroes: James O. Strickland

Prepared by: Sandy Strickland (wife)

Jim Strickland, a 1938 native of Pembroke, Georgia, is the son of a Shell Oil employee. After living in Venezuela for a few years, the family returned to Georgia, where Jim attended Georgia Southern University. Following graduation, he received a draft notice and decided to act. The Navy recruiter was not fast enough, so the Air Force became his first choice.

Colonel Strickland’s first operational assignment was with the 306th Bomb Wing at McCoy Air Force Base in Florida. As a B-52 radar navigator, he flew 237 “Arc Light” combat missions during four deployments to Okinawa, Thailand, and Guam, accumulating over 2,000 combat hours. During the Battle of Khe Sanh, he participated in the first B-52 close-in bombing support for U.S. forces, dropping bombs from 30,000 feet to land one kilometer from friendly troops. In between deployments, he stood cold war nuclear alert missions at McCoy AFB.

After completing the Command and General Staff Course, Colonel Strickland sought industry experience and chose an assignment at Convair General Dynamics. That decision proved fortuitous, as he met Sandy in Coronado, and they married in 1979. Subsequent assignments included contract management at a GE Jet Engine Facility in Ohio and serving as director of contract management at Headquarters Air Force Systems Command at Andrews AFB in Maryland, where he was responsible for contract administration and pricing policy. Colonel Strickland concluded his Air Force career on the staff of Pacific Air Forces in 1992. He is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Jim and Sandy remained in Hawaii for five years, enjoying golf and scuba diving. Jim often flew to the mainland for consulting work, but much to Sandy’s disappointment, he grew tired of the long flights and insisted on moving to Coronado. In Coronado, he has served on the boards of the Coronado Historical Association and the MOAA Silver Strand Chapter, tutored in the Silver Strand Elementary Reader Program, and chaired the City Planning Commission. He also led the 2003 and 2008 Residential Standards Improvement Program committees, which rewrote zoning regulations to address the mass of houses.

Jim and Sandy have five children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren scattered across the country from Seattle to Georgia.

The Avenue of Heroes military service recognition program is sponsored by the City of Coronado. Introduced in 2014, the program has honored 277 hometown heroes to date. On November 2, 2024, another 16 were honored. City staff and volunteers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Coronado Historical Association and Third and Fourth  Streets Neighborhood Association oversee its operation.

In 2011, the program was inspired spontaneously with the movement of two Navy SEALs to their final resting place. News spread quickly and the local Rotary Club passed out American flags. People lined Fourth Street to honor the fallen service members. As the procession approached the Coronado Bridge, a lone Navy SEAL stood at attention, saluting as he waited for the passage of his comrades. That moment made clear that Third and Fourth streets were already an Avenue of Heroes.

That spontaneous beginning launched the program in May 2015 with 18 banners. The Avenue of Heroes is a reminder that Coronado has a rich history and legacy of service to the country.