Today, the 27th of September 2011 will be the 69th Anniversary of the death of SM1 Douglas Munro, the only US Coast Guardsman to receive the Medal of Honor.
Let’s all take a moment and pay tribute to our Coast Guard Hero.
On September 27th 1942 Signalman (SM) First Class Munro was the Officer-in-Charge of a group of Higgins Boats in Guadalcanal that was evacuating 500 Marines. Petty Officer Munro, under constant risk of his life, daringly led five Higgins Boats towards the beach. As he approached the beach, he signaled the other boats to land and then in order to draw the enemy’s fire and protect the heavily loaded boats with Marines, he valiantly placed his craft so that it would serve as a cover for the last Marines to leave the beach. It was thus that he was fatally wounded, he remained conscious sufficiently long enough to say four words “did they get off” he died with the realization that his mission had succeeded and his final assignment had been carried out.
Since Munro was operating under the authority of the Navy, he received the Navy Medal of Honor. A Coast Guard Medal of Honor exists, but has never been issued.
There have been two ships named after him, the US Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WHEC-724) and the Navy’s USS Douglas A. Munro (DE-422). Also the barracks building located at the US Coast Guards Training Center Cape May, NJ (Munro Hall) is named in his honor and this is where his “MEDAL of HONOR” is on Display.
SEMPER PARATUS
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