Avenue of Heroes: Arthur Paine McArthur

Prepared by: Jamie McArthur (son)

LtCol Arthur ‘Mac’ McArthur was commissioned a 2ndLt in 1936 from ROTC at the University of Cincinnati with a degree in electrical engineering. He married Marjorie Moore McArthur in April 1940 and was stationed in Hawaii. Marjorie moved back to San Diego in the fall of 1941 in anticipation of the birth of their first child, John, on January 3, 1942.

After serving in various infantry assignments, he found himself on Marine Fleet staff aboard USS Maryland (BB46) in December of 1941. Detached one week prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, he took command of a machine gun company in San Diego.

In August of 1942, Mac went ashore on Guadalcanal. The now Captain McArthur experienced the initial ground combat of WWII with many other U.S. Marines. In November of 1942, he was gravely injured in a mortar attack that killed two companions in his Jeep. He spent the next six months in New Zealand recovering from his wounds and malaria. Capt McArthur was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V and Purple Heart for his service.

He returned briefly to San Diego, then to intelligence officer school in Washington, D.C. Returning to operational Marines in 1943, Mac participated in Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and spent the rest of the war as an Intelligence Officer.

After 15 years of honorable service and attaining the rank of LtCol, Mac was granted his release from active service in 1951.

Trained as an electrical engineer, he and his family of five moved around the county in various engineering jobs before settling in Coronado in 1962. That year, Mac started work on the space program as a design and electrical engineer for North American Aviation. He was heavily involved in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space launches and subsequent landing on the Moon in 1969.

After returning to San Diego, he worked in the construction field for 25 more years and was instrumental in establishing the General Contractors training program at San Diego State University. Mac was most proud of his long-time affiliation with the Optimist Club of Coronado where he could be seen at all kinds of youth sporting events and as an announcer for many years of the Coronado Fourth of July parade.

The Avenue of Heroes military service recognition program is sponsored by the City of Coronado. Introduced in 2014, the program has honored 246 hometown heroes to date. On November 4, 2023, 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.