Avenue of Heroes: John “Jack” Kendall Winston

Prepared by: Paula Bingham (friend)

John “Jack” Kendall Weinstein, who later changed his name to Winston in 1946, was born March 23, 1925, in Steubenville, Ohio. In 1943, he graduated from Staunton Military Academy in Virginia and was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Force. At the time, he was the Army’s youngest commissioned officer, not yet 18.

Assigned to the 455th Bombardment Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group, Winston flew 25 combat missions in B-26 Marauders over enemy territory. The “White Tailed Marauders” targeted transportation lines and aircraft production facilities. On Feb. 14, 1945, his crew of six were shot down over Germany, and he was reported MIA.

In Jack’s own words: “The briefing was no different than most. Up at 5 a.m. slightly encouraged, we were to be over enemy lines about an hour. That was known as ‘a milk run.’ As we approached the target, flak was heavy, but we had certainly encountered worse. Besides, we were going home shortly. Then there was a good jolt. We had our gunners bail out and three of us decided to pancake that ‘26’ into the woods. I was hit with flak in my left arm, and Willie had caught a piece in his shoulder, but with one good arm each we fought it down. That is the last thing I remembered for three days.”

German soldiers pulled him from the wreckage and he was held as a prisoner of war until April 17, 1945, when he was liberated. Jack was honorably discharged with full disability in February 1946. Before the age of 20, Jack had received the Purple Heart; Air Medal with Four Oakleaf Clusters; European African Middle Eastern Service Medal; American Theatre Service Medal; Victory Medal; and Prisoner of War Medal.

After the war, he returned to Steubenville, graduated from Miami University, and went on to own Winston Lincoln Mercury Motors and Anchor Soft Drink Co. He married and raised three children: Elizabeth, Nancy, and John. Later, he moved to Florida where he launched a real estate career. Jack retired to Coronado in 1990, where he continued his music, service, and love of community as a Rotarian, master bridge player, and member of the Coronado Cays Yacht Club. He passed away on Oct. 22, 1994.

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.