Neighborhood streets around Veterans Park in the Sunbow community are named after World War II, Korean War and Vietnam veterans who died in the line of duty.
Councilman and Iraq war veteran John McCann now wants to name streets in the same area with the names of veterans from Chula Vista who died in combat fighting the global war on terror.
“We must make sure that the people who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom are remembered forever,” the councilman said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at Veterans Park.
“And the best way to do that is to have their name on a street.”
McCann proposed the idea to the Chula Vista City Council Tuesday night; the council voted to agendize the proposal at a future date.
McCann, a Navy reservist, said the local heroes who died in the war on terrorism should not be forgotten in Chula Vista.
“Ever since 9/11 we need to make sure that we honor the service members who have served in the global war of terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
McCann, who spent a tour in Mosul, Iraq, in 2009 and parts of 2010, said while he made it out of the war alive he lost a “good friend” in Lt. Cdr. Keith Taylor, who was in the same reserve unit as McCann.
“People like Lt. Cdr. Keith Taylor should never be forgotten for their service,” McCann said.
Gus Hermes, regional president for the Fleet Reserve Association, backs McCann’s street naming idea.
“These are residents who were born and raised in Chula Vista,” Hermes said. “I very much support it and I think all the veterans around here are in support of it.”
Hermes sat on the Chula Vista’s Veterans Advisory Commission when the original names of the veterans that are on the streets now was first put in place.
McCann said he’s spoken to gold star mothers, those who have lost their sons and daughters in the global war in terrorism, and that they are very supportive of the naming of the streets as well.
If his proposal goes through, McCann said that the naming of the streets would not be of any cost for the taxpayers.
He said developers of several communities in the area that are not built yet are in charge of the naming process of the new streets.
McCann said streets won’t be renamed after the veterans but that he proposes the naming of streets for the communities that are not yet developed.
“Nothing is going to be renamed,” he said. “It’s all going to be new streets in the city of Chula Vista that will be named after the veterans.”
McCann said honoring the veterans also means honoring their families.
