Avenue of Heroes: Thomas R. Edison

Prepared by wife Judi Edison.

Dr. Thomas “Tom” R. Edison, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), was born in 1945 in Aberdeen, Washington. He graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1963 and later earned bachelor’s degrees in engineering and biology from Stanford University.

Commissioned through Air Force ROTC in 1968, he served 25 years as an aircraft maintenance officer with 10 assignments, including three overseas tours.

After training at Chanute Air Force Base (AFB), Tom’s first posting was Dover AFB, where he supported the introduction of the C-5 Galaxy. He later served at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, maintaining C-5 and C-141 aircraft for Southeast Asia operations, and commanded a helicopter maintenance squadron providing rescue and recovery in the South China Sea. At George AFB, he worked on high-time and battle-damaged F-105s and F-4s returning from Vietnam – his first experience with aircraft battle damage repair.

Selected for a master’s degree in logistics at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Tom advanced to leadership roles at Edwards AFB, the U.S. Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia, and Air Force Logistics Command headquarters. At Edwards, he supported the F-16, F-15, A-10, and B-2 programs, pioneered procedures for technical orders, and earned recognition as the 1980 USAF Maintenance Officer of the Year.

He later commanded A-10 squadrons at RAF Bentwaters, supported NATO operations in Germany, and at Wright-Patterson AFB integrated aircraft battle-damage repair into standard wartime procedures. His final assignment at Edwards focused on fielding the C-17 and leading inspections across all maintenance squadrons.

Over his career, Tom commanded two squadrons, served on five accident boards, and led multiple Inspector General inspections. He capped his Air Force service with a second master’s degree in education and later earned a doctorate in strategic management. After retiring, he taught at five universities, worked with the Navy and Edwards AFB as a contractor, and spent 13 years on the Defense Acquisition University faculty as San Diego’s first site manager and logistics chair.

Married for more than five decades, Tom and his wife have traveled to over 70 countries. They enjoy time with their three children, six grandchildren, and extended family. Tom’s son, Toby chose to follow in his Dad’s footsteps as he also served in the Air Force. Tom remains active in Rotary, the VFW, MOAA, and is a dedicated Padres fan.

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.