Avenue of Heroes: Robert B. Lindsay

Prepared by: Mark, Robb, and Scot (sons)

Commander Robert “Bob” Lindsay was born in Hartford, Connecticut on May 7, 1929. His father, Bruce, a commercial photographer and award-winning cinematographer, and his mother, Hilda V. Lindsay, a homemaker, raised Bob and his sister, Glenny, in Windsor, Connecticut. In 1947, his mother and sister moved to Coronado while he attended Loomis Preparatory School and the University of Connecticut. After a visit to Coronado, Bob enlisted in the Naval Reserve in Hartford. His commanding officer suggested he apply for a competitive appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Bob was accepted and reported to Annapolis in June 1949. He graduated and married his wife, Marilyn, in 1953.

He began flight training that year and earned his wings of gold in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1954. His first squadron was VF-93 in Alameda, California, flying the new Grumman F9F-8 swept-wing fighter. In the 1950s, the Navy was working to improve its atomic strike capability, and Bob’s squadron was redesignated VFA-93 aboard the USS Oriskany. He was one of the few pilots selected to fly aircraft equipped with atomic weapons. When the squadron was later redesignated VA-93, it was assigned the new Douglas A-4 aircraft. Over time, the A-4 received significant navigation enhancements that were critical for nighttime and adverse weather operations. Looking back, Commander Lindsay said the A-4 was the best aircraft for carrier landings, which were then being conducted on angled decks using a mirror landing system.

Bob retired on Dec. 31, 1978, but continued flying as a flight instructor and eventually served as president of the North Island Navy Flying Club. He earned his master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in January 1979. In the 1990s, his flying skill with the Europa, an experimental aircraft, became well known throughout the western United States among builders who relied on him as a test pilot for first flight certification.

In 2004, Bob joined the City of Coronado’s Street Tree Committee and later served as its chair. He helped preserve heritage trees and championed the successful effort to designate the Torrey pine as Coronado’s official city tree. The first designated Torrey pine is located in Palm Park at Palm Avenue and Third Street. Bob continues to enjoy living in the Coronado home he and his wife purchased 57 years ago.

The Avenue of Heroes military service recognition program is sponsored by the City of Coronado. Introduced in 2014, the program has honored 293 hometown heroes to date. On May 17, 2025, another 16 were honored. City staff and dedicated volunteers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Coronado Historical Association and the Third and Fourth Streets Neighborhood Association oversee its operation.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Avenue of Heroes program – ten years of telling the stories of courage, sacrifice, and service that are woven into the fabric of Coronado.

The inspiration for the program emerged in 2011, when the community spontaneously came together to honor the passage of two fallen Navy SEALs to their final resting place. As news spread, members of the local Rotary Club handed out American flags, and residents lined Fourth Street in solemn tribute. As the procession neared the Coronado Bridge, a lone Navy SEAL stood at attention, saluting his fallen comrades. In that moment, it became clear: Third and Fourth streets were already an Avenue of Heroes.

That spontaneous beginning launched the program in May 2015 with 18 banners. Since then, the Avenue of Heroes has served as a powerful reminder of Coronado’s deep military roots and legacy of service.