Avenue of Heroes: William “Bill” Hiscock

Prepared by: Richard Haas (friend)

William “Bill” Hiscock, the son of Heber and Elsie Hiscock from Newfoundland, was born May 13, 1925 in Detroit. He graduated from Cooley High School in 1943.

During World War II, Bill received basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and reported to the 65th Armored InfantryBattalion of the 20th Armored Division at Camp Campbell, Kentucky.

Private First Class (PFC) Hiscock sailed to France with his division in early 1945. On the way to the front, he traveled the same road his father traveled during World War I. After crossing the Rhine, he fought in the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket, which ended with the surrender of 300,000 German soldiers.

His division later spearheaded the Seventh Army that crossed the Danube, liberated Dachau, and helped overcome resistance in Munich as Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7, 1945.

Returning to the United States, Bill and his division were sent to Camp Cooke, California, to prepare for the invasion of Japan. When the invasion was called off, Bill was honorably discharged in January 1946. For his service, PFC Hiscock received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, and other medals.

From age 14, Bill dreamed of becoming a lawyer and living in California. So, upon discharge, he returned to college and received his bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Michigan. He moved to California in 1951, practiced law in Los Angeles for 20 years, and relocated to Coronado in 1972.

During his 50 years in Coronado, he practiced estate and trust law, served on the Hospital Board, was president of the Coronado Council of the Navy League, and maintained his Rotary membership. He also discovered a new passion: lawn bowling.

Bill served as President of the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club from2005 to 2011 and remains an active member. Inducted into the Lawn Bowling Hall of Fame in 2012, he has led the club’s entry in Coronado’s Fourth of July Parade for the last 15 years.

Veteran, patriot, community leader, and universally acknowledged hail-fellow-well-met, Bill celebrated his 100th birthday this year at the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club surrounded by family and friends.

The Avenue of Heroes military service recognition program is sponsored by the City of Coronado. Established in 2014, the program has honored 309 hometown heroes to date, with another 14 to be recognized on November 1, 2025. City staff and dedicated volunteers from Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Coronado Historical Association, and the Third and Fourth Streets Neighborhood Association oversee the program’s operation.

The program was inspired in 2011, when the Coronado community spontaneously came together to honor the passage of two 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 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 that Third and Fourth streets were already an Avenue of Heroes.

That moment inspired the City to formalize the program, which officially launched in May 2015 with 18 banners. Since then, the Avenue of Heroes has served as a lasting reminder of Coronado’s deep military roots and enduring legacy of service.

In 2014, Coronado resident Toni McGowan, a devoted advocate for honoring local military members, helped transform the idea into a lasting tradition. Her tireless efforts led the City to designate State Route 282—Third and Fourth streets from Orange Avenue to Naval Air Station North Island—as the “Coronado Avenue of Heroes” and to adopt the companion banner ceremony.

McGowan also worked with the Third and Fourth Streets Neighborhood Association and other partners to have the Avenue of Heroes designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway, a tribute to the nation’s Armed Forces. The State of California granted this designation in January 2017. Although McGowan passed away in 2019, her dedication and vision continue to inspire the program today.