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She earned a commission in the SPARS (women’s branch of the Coast Guard), ran the Coast Guard Barracks in Seattle, and was discharged in late 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant. Historian Richard Frank explores the influence of China and the Soviet Union in the Japanese decision to attack American territories in December 1941. Arriving at the rendezvous spot, the boats quickly came under withering fire from the beach. The United States Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. At Central Washington College of Education, Munro was an excellent student, but yearned for something more exciting. Training continued as transport ships were loaded with men and materiel bound for the Pacific. Three United States warships have been named after Munro: the destroyer escort USS Douglas A. Munro (DE-422), and the cutters USCGC Douglas Munro (WHEC-724) and USCGC Munro (WMSL-755). The missions can be very … Learn more about Douglas Munro. From Munro’s Official Military Personnel File, National Archives, St. Louis. Munro asked Evans, “Did they get off?” Evans replied the Marines had, and Munro died. Though they were aboard separate ships, both were headed for the Pacific. One coxswain yelled to Munro to fall back, that rescue wasn’t possible, but Munro refused to leave the Marines. This work kept Munro busy through August and into the latter part of September. When the perilous task of evacuation was nearly completed, Munro was instantly killed by enemy fire, but his crew, 2 of whom were wounded, carried on until the last boat had loaded and cleared the beach. It was 27 Sept., 1942. He’d be reuniting with Evans, joining a boat pool on “Cactus,” the code word for Guadalcanal. Helping others became a passion for Munro and set him on a path towards the United States Coast Guard. Hitler and his staff kept driving German troops onward to Moscow to impel Imperial Japan to enter the war. He gallantly gave his life for his country.”. At the top, to the left of Point Cruz is where Munro and the others landed and evacuated Marines on September 27. The two worked together in every spare hour to earn their new rating. In the opening strokes of the Battle of the Bulge, platoon leader Vernon McGarity distinguished himself in combat, inspired his men, and saved lives while delaying the onslaught of German forces. Signalman 1st Class Douglas A. Munro sent his family this snapshot of himself wearing side arms aboard his ship. Riley Gatewood, commanding officer, Douglas Munro. Douglas A.Munro, USCG, South Cle Elum, Washington. The NPG includes multilateral and bilateral international agreements with the United States in order to advance the conservation and management of high seas fisheries resources. Munro is the second cutter named for Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro (1919–1942), the only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor.The US Navy destroyer escort USS Douglas A. Munro (DE-422) was also named for Munro. Then, on September 21, the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) arrived and Munro and Evans were selected to be crew. The ship began a 5,400-mile voyage to the East Coast and Munro and Ray were made quartermasters. The USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO had this gorgeous sunrise on Coast Guard Day 2019 while in the Bering Sea. Tucker joined the Coast Guard in August 2017 and then joined the crew of the Douglas Munro on Nov. 13, 2017, as his first assignment following boot camp, according to his service record. As such, they began to learn navigation and log keeping, as well as how to maintain deck equipment as part of the ship’s deck force. USCGC Douglas Munro (WHEC-724) is a Hamilton-class High Endurance Cutter of the United States Coast Guard, named for Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro (1919–1942), the only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. By his outstanding leadership, expert planning, and dauntless devotion to duty, he and his courageous comrades undoubtedly saved the lives of many who otherwise would have perished. She had persisted when the Coast Guard was reluctant to allow her to join—she was 48, and a Gold Star Mother of a Medal of Honor recipient. Evans noticed a trail of waterspouts nearby as Japanese bullets got nearer to the boats. In July 1942, Munro was transferred to USS McCawley (APA-10). Named after the only Coast Guard Medal of Honor recipient, Signalman First Class Douglas Munro, the cutter enjoys a reputation for excellence which has resulted from the pride and hard work of the crew you are about to join. Beaching the boat, he jumped down to Munro, who had just regained consciousness. Positioning his landing craft parallel to the shore so Evans could provide covering fire for the Marines, Munro held station as the beleaguered men swam out to the landing craft. Their mission that morning was to … Kelch was found dead Jan. 27 along the shore of an island when their ship, the cutter Douglas Munro, was docked in nearby Dutch Harbor. As he closed the beach, he signaled the others to land, and then in order to draw the enemy's fire and protect the heavily loaded boats, he valiantly placed his craft with its 2 small guns as a shield between the beachhead and the Japanese. When word arrived that these ships needed signalmen, Munro, after much pleading with Spencer’s executive officer, was given permission to transfer to the Hunter Liggett … After several minutes, and still under fire, the landing craft was free, and Munro pulled behind it. That day, he met Raymond J. Evans, a fellow recruit. His father was an American who had lived there since his childhood, and his mother had emigrated from England with her family at the age of 15. “For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty as Petty Officer in Charge of a group of 24 Higgins boats, engaged in the evacuation of a battalion of marines trapped by enemy Japanese forces at Point Cruz Guadalcanal, on 27 September 1942. USCGC Douglas Munro (WHEC-724) is a Hamilton-class High Endurance Cutter of the United States Coast Guard, named for Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro (1919–1942), the only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. This site is owned and operated by Bright Mountain Media, Inc., a publicly owned company trading with the symbol: BMTM. While patrolling in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, the Douglas Munro crew rendezvoused with Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755). The ship's original compliment included 17 officers and 143 enlisted men, under the ship's first Commanding Officer, Captain John T. Rouse. The tenth of twelve 378-foot cutters, MUNRO was the first to be named after a Coast Guard hero - Signalman First Class Douglas Munro. Image courtesy of the US Coast Guard. Douglas Munro’s crew began their patrol just south of the Aleutian Islands and spent 59 days enforcing fisheries regulations while traveling 12,500 miles throughout the Pacific Ocean. Munro, the first and only member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive the Medal of Honor, had been aboard the the seaplane tender Ballard. As of 2018, USCGC Munro (WMSL-755) is in active Coast Guard service. “This has been an extremely exciting and rewarding patrol,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. To better enable both aerial reconnaissance and search and rescue missions, the Munro crew embarked an aviation detachment and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, California. Many entertainers and future celebrities answered their country's call and donned US Navy and Coast Guard blues, serving at sea during the war. First was a destroyer escort launched on March 8, 1944, with Lieutenant Junior Grade Edith F. Munro christening it. Coast Guard cutters, including the Douglas Munro (WHEC 724), sitting moored in Kodiak, Alaska, this past May. The valiant defense of Wake Island by US Marines, sailors, soldiers, and civilians became a potent rallying point for Americans in the dark days after Pearl Harbor. Douglas Munro has earned the title of the … In August, Munro applied for enlistment with the Coast Guard, and on September 18, Munro officially enlisted as an apprentice seaman. Although it may be a gloomy day today, sunny days like the one pictured in July of 2018 will returned to Kodiak. The Munro family was more fortunate than most during the Great Depression as James never lost his job, and the family was able to enjoy a comfortable life. On December 7, 1941, USS California’s crew fought bravely to save her. Aware of his family’s good fortune, Munro was moved to help those in need. For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Photo by ENS Jake Marx. Photo courtesy of the US Coast Guard. The United States Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro, WHEC-724, celebrated its hull day at sea with a display aboard the vessel on July 24. Only once were they not stationed together, and even then, only briefly did they serve apart. It was commissioned in 2017 with Julie Sheehan—Munro's great-niece—serving as the ship's sponsor. He failed to return to the ship. For extraordinary heroism and acts above and beyond the call of duty during World War II, the United States Congress awarded 473 Medals of Honor. Coast Guard training in the latter part of 1939 was virtually nonexistent. Over the next year, Munro and Evans, always together, moved between transport ships with Transport Division 17. As the last Marines loaded into landing craft, Munro turned his boat to lead the group back to Lunga Point. A small notebook by Charles Don Page records the defining moment in 212 men’s lives under the Imperial Japanese Army. Evans watched as a bullet struck the base of Munro’s skull and he fell to the deck. After the war, Munro’s remains were brought back to the United States. High Endurance Cutters have a crew of 160 and have long served as the capital ships of the Coast Guard cutter fleet. Living in a makeshift shack on the island, Munro and Evans moved supplies, rescued downed airmen, and ferried casualties to ships. The ship's original compliment included 17 officers and 143 enlisted men, under the ship's … By the winter of 1945, millions of American military personnel were on the move, but they were not alone. However, for these “War Brides” restrictive American immigrations policies posed a major challenge. Despite not having small boat experience, they were able to train over the summer, and Evans recalled that Munro “just had that instinct.” The two friends passed small boat training and were assigned to Transport Division 17. Their actual training was to be at sea, aboard Spencer as the ship made its way from Washington, to Staten Island, New York, to participate in Neutrality Patrols in the Atlantic. Munro, climbing the superstructure of Spencer. Photo courtesy of ENS Jake Marx. They formed an immediate friendship and became inseparable. Free resources for your classroom to commemorate the December 7,1941 attack. High Endurance Cutters have a crew of 160 and have long served as the capital ships of the Coast Guard cutter fleet. On the island, Japanese forces had withdrawn to the western side of the river, necessitating the insertion of Marine forces in an attempt to dominate the area and prevent Japanese forces from establishing themselves close to American lines. Munro, the first and only member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive the Medal of Honor, had been aboard the the seaplane tender Ballard.. Anchored just off Guadalcanal, the ship received word that 500 men from the 1st Battalion, 7th … After several trips to finish landing Marines from his transport, Munro grabbed his signalman’s gear, including a blinker light and semaphore flags, and took up station on the beach, ready to communicate between Marines ashore and the ships out to sea. When Munro was just two years old, his family moved to Washington, eventually settling the small town of Cle Elum. Commissioned in 2017, the Munro is the sixth 418-foot, Legend-class national security cutter in the Coast Guard. NPG is an annual high seas U.S. fisheries international law enforcement operation designed to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activity, including large-scale high seas pelagic drift-net fishing. Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro conducted a boarding in the Pacific Ocean, July 24, 2020. Throughout their patrol, the crew maintained strict health precautionary measures and minimized interactions with others to ensure sustained mission readiness. Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro returns home from 2 month patrol, on Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro returns home from 2 month patrol, Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, Coast Guard rescue 2 on disabled sailboat in severe weather near Fort Myers, Coast Guard locates child, grandparents in Willamette National Forest, OR, Coast Guard Cutter Active offloads $159 million of cocaine. Munro, Evans, and the other 18 recruits sworn in that day were sent to Air Station Port Angeles, where the staff there were clueless as to what was to be done with them. Munro volunteered for the job and brought the boats to shore under heavy enemy fire, then proceeded to evacuate the men on the beach. Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro was 22. All rights reserved. The cutter’s hull day, July 24, correlates with its hull number, 724. Munro was put in charge of the Higgins boats assigned to land the Marines. Incredibly, the Coast Guard fully manned more than 350 naval ships, including 76 LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank), 21 cargo and attack-cargo ships, 75 frigates, and 31 transports. Their outstanding results, positive attitude and exceptional work ethic set the standard for future U.S. Coast Guard engagements.”. In June, President Roosevelt directed the Coast Guard to man four large transports and serve in mixed crews on board twenty-two naval ships. 504-528-1944. Thanks to a partnership with the Kodiak Area Native Association, the Munro crew conducted pre-deployment COVID-19 testing, followed by a 14-day monitoring period in order to ensure the safety of the crew during the current global pandemic. Copyright © 2020 Coast Guard News. Douglas A. Munro both followed and set an example. During this time, to ensure compliance with Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and North Pacific Fisheries Commission regulations, the Munro crew conducted inspections aboard 11 fishing vessels of various nationalities. For his actions on September 17, Evans was awarded the Navy Cross and promoted to Chief Signalman. The Coast Guard named three ships in his honor: USCGCs Munro, Douglas Munro and the USS Douglas A. Munro. Kali Martin earned a bachelor's degree in International Studies and German at the University of Miami and a master's degree in Military a... Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro,…, Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, Coming To America: The War Brides Act of 1945, “America Remembers Wake Island and Is Proud”: The Battle That Lifted a Nation’s Morale in 1941, The Path Through the Soviet Union and China to Pearl Harbor, Curator's Choice: The Book of the Dead and Dying. Then, on September 21, the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) arrived and Munro and Evans were selected to be crew. For recent photographs follow us on Flickr. He and a friend gathered wood in the forests, split it, and delivered it to families who couldn’t afford coal to warm their homes in the cold winter months. After making preliminary plans for the evacuation of nearly 500 beleaguered marines, Munro, under constant strafing by enemy machine guns on the island, and at great risk of his life, daringly led five of his small craft toward the shore. Even after nearly 49 years of service, Douglas Munro remains versatile and can operate globally in the most demanding open ocean environments, from the North Pacific’s hazardous fishing grounds to the wind swept isles of the Aleutians. Arriving there as raw boots they were put to mowing lawns, cleaning up and … On August 7, 1942, American forces landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and the Florida Islands in the Solomon Islands. The dedication of the ship took place on April 15, 1972, at Munro's first homeport of Boston, Massachusetts. The boat crews were still refueling the landing craft when word came down that the Marines they had just landed needed to be pulled out immediately. In mid-1939, well aware of the worsening situation in Europe, Munro and his friends often discussed the likelihood of impending compulsory military service. This resulted in the order for three  companies of 1st Battalion, 7th Marines to land via landing craft on a beach west of Point Cruz to enter the attack from the rear. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro. Photo Credit: Chief Warrant Officer John Edwa/Coast Guard The Munro is the second cutter and third ship to be named in honor of Douglas Munro. Map courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command. From his Official Military Personnel File, National Archives, St. Louis. At her own insistence, she went through boot camp as any recruit would do, requesting no special treatment. After making preliminary plans for the evacuation of nearly 500 beleaguered marines, Munro, under constant strafing by enemy machineguns on the island, and at great risk of his life, daringly led 5 of his small craft toward the shore. The Munro is one of the four national security cutters homeported in Alameda, Calif., and is bearing the same namesake of Douglas Munro, the Coast Guard’s only World War II Medal of Honor recipient. Douglas Munro was born to James and Edith in October 1919, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. When the United States entered the war in December 1941, both men knew it was only a matter of time before they would get in the action. Where one went, the other was there. He yelled to Munro to get down, but it was too late. For three days they peeled potatoes, mowed grass, and helped with boat maintenance. 6.7K likes. A second ship with his name, a Coast Guard cutter, was … Evans recalled that when their commanding officer asked if they were ready to go back and get the Marines off the beach, Munro replied, “Hell, yeah!” With Munro leading the way, the boat crews sped back to the beach to extract the overwhelmed Marines. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Jacob Marx, File) Two ships were named in Douglas Munro's honor. Douglas Albert Munro (October 11, 1919 – September 27, 1942) is the only member of the United States Coast Guard to have received the Medal of Honor, the United States's highest military award. Munro spent the night on the island with Marines, continuing to send messages via blinker light overnight. His first role model was his mother, Edith, and he would eventually be hers. Only one has ever been awarded to a US Coast Guardsman. This is the official Coast Guard painting of Munro’s last moments while evacuating Marines at Guadalcanal. KODIAK, Alaska — The crew aboard Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) returned to homeport following a two-month-long Operation North Pacific Guard (NPG) patrol, focused on enforcing international fishery regulations, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. He was reburied with honors in 1948 at the Laurel Hill Memorial Park in Cle Elum, Washington. Anchored just off Guadalcanal, the ship received word that 500 men from the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, had met fierce resistance from the Japanese and were pinned down on … Secretary Volpe was once again on hand, retelling the story of Douglas Munro and reminding the crew of the honor they had to bear the name of that hero. Their actual training was to be at sea, aboard Spencer as the ship made its way from Washington, to Staten Island, New York, to participate in Neutrality Patrols in the Atlantic. They were reinforced by elements of 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines two days later. 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