Silvis is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. It is part of a larger metropolitan area known as the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area is situated across four counties in Illinois and Iowa. Silvis is the first community one encounters when entering the Quad Cities from the east on Interstate 88. Four miles from the intersection of Interstate 80 and Interstate 88.[3]
The City of Silvis (initially named Pleasant Valley) was incorporated in 1906. The city took its name from Richard Shippen Silvis, one of the original settlers whose family operated the Silvis Mining Company.[3] Some older sources give the alternate spelling of “Sylvis.”
TPC Deere Run’s golf course is built on the site of a former Arabian horse farm. Course architect and former PGA Tour professional D.A. Weibring masterfully used the natural, rolling landscape to create a championship golf course that stretches along the picturesque wooded ravines of the area’s famous Rock River.
TPC Deere Run has been honored by Golf Digest, ranking No. 42 among the United States’ 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses. Golfweek Magazine has also ranked TPC Deere Run among the top five courses in the state of Illinois.
Since 2000, TPC Deere Run has been the home of the PGA Tour‘s annual John Deere Classic, previously known as the Quad Cities Open. The John Deere Classic is held in July the week before the British Open and draws some of the Tour’s top talent.[3]
Hero Street Monument
It has been documented that as of the present day there have been over 100 young men and women from former Second Street who have given service to the United States Military Forces. It had been researched and documented by The Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. that (there is no other street of comparable size) that has had as many men and women render service to the Armed Forces of the United States of America than the 1 1/2 block long street in Silvis. Of these military men and women, six of them were killed in action during World War II and two during the Korean War. Hispanic Americans in World War II served honorably. Between 400,000 and 500,000 Hispanic Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, out of a total of 16,000,000, constituting 3.1% to 3.2% of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The muddy block and a half long street was home to Mexican immigrants who worked for the Rock Island Railroad. The 22 families who lived on the street were a close-knit group. From this small street, 84 men served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The street contributed more men to military services in World War II and Korea than any other street of comparable size in the U.S. In total, eight men from Hero Street gave their lives during World War II—Joseph Gomez, Peter Macias, Johnny Muños, Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, Joseph “Joe” Sandoval, William “Willie” Sandoval, and Claro Solis. Second Street’s name was changed to Hero Street in honor of these men and their families.[6]
Of the 22 families on Second Street, the two Sandoval families had a total of thirteen men who served in the armed forces. Three died in service during World War II. The Sandovals were two families of Mexican immigrants, with the same surname and lived on Second Street.[7]
Eduvigis and Angelina Sandoval immigrated to the U.S. from Romita, Mexico. Their son, Frank, was a combat engineer assigned to help build the Ledo Road in Burma. He was killed when his unit was sent unexpectedly to the front to fight for control of a key airbase. His older brother, Joe, was assigned to the 41st Armored Infantry Division in Europe. He was killed in April 1945, just days before the war ended.[7]
Joseph and Carmen Sandoval also immigrated to the United States from Mexico. When the war broke out, their son Willie asked for permission to enlist in the army, and both parents consented to their son’s request. Willie Sandoval was trained as a paratrooper and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. He fought in Italy and Germany, and was killed on October 6, 1944, during a combat mission related to Operation Market-Garden, the largest airborne operation of all time.
Because of the contributions of these young American the street was renamed Hero Street USA in May 1967, by former Mayor of Silvis, William Tatmen. On 30 October 1971 a city park was built and dedicated as Hero Street Park in honor of the eight deceased Hispanic (Latin American) servicemen from Hero Street USA. The park contains a pictorial monument a Grotto, a playground and a Pavilion. The monument contains pictures and biographies of the eight-deceased veteran from Hero Street, the grotto displays the names of all war dead from Silvis.[8]
In 2015, Fourth Wall Films released a historical documentary feature film by Emmy nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, titled “Letters Home to Hero Street”.[9][10]
