Avenue of Heroes: Donald Crawford

Prepared by: Tom Bernitt (friend)

Born Feb. 21, 1946, in Batavia, New York, Commander Donald C. “Crawdad” Crawford enlisted in the U.S. Navy in December 1966, completed boot camp in San Diego, and graduated from Underwater Demolition Team Replacement Activity in December 1967 with Class 42. Assigned to SEAL Team ONE (ST-1), he rose from seaman to second class in five months, completing three combat tours in Vietnam. In his own words, “the last tour nearly killed me, getting a boat blown up under me and learning I wasn’t bulletproof after all.” After completing his enlistment, Crawford returned to college only to discover, again in his words, “my fun meter refused to budge off zero, so my second enlistment started ten months later.” After two additional WESTPAC deployments with ST-1, he reported to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training as an instructor. While on shore duty, he attended night school and received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of San Diego. He later completed OCS and was commissioned in September 1977.

Subsequent assignments included Underwater Demolition Team TWELVE, SEAL Team ONE, and Naval Special Warfare Group ONE. Following a tour at Special Operations Command Europe, LCDR Crawford returned to SEAL Team ONE as executive officer and deployed for Operation Desert Storm. He later served at Naval Special Warfare Command (WARCOM), completing another deployment before serving in the operations department. He concluded his 30-year Navy career as executive officer of the Naval Special Warfare Center, retiring in May 1997. His numerous military awards include the Silver Star, Bronze Star with combat “V”, Purple Heart, and Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V.”

Crawford met the love of his life, Leslie Hubbard, during the Tecate-Ensenada Bike Ride in 1978. The two eloped and were married in December 1980, and raised their sons, Andrew and Michael, in Coronado. Following his retirement from the service, Crawford taught at Silver Strand Elementary and Coronado Middle School, served as the WARCOM historian, and spent 12 and a half years as the WARCOM plans officer.

In retirement, Crawdad has served as President of both the Optimist Club of Coronado and the Coronado Floral Association and played the flute and piccolo in the Coronado Community Band. He continues to volunteer for numerous causes, has achieved three world records for rowing, and is a Master Gardener.

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.