Then, on September 21, the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) arrived and Munro and Evans were selected to be crew. Munro at the time of his enlistment at the age of 19. After several minutes, and still under fire, the landing craft was free, and Munro pulled behind it. U.S. Coast Guard photo. For their heroic actions, four of her crew were awarded the Medal of Honor. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter DOUGLAS MUNRO recently completed a nearly two-month patrol, traveling 12,500 miles (20,117 km) throughout the ocean in support of Operation North Pacific Guard, an annual high seas fisheries law enforcement operation designed to detect and deter illegal, unreported, and … Image courtesy of the US Coast Guard. Free resources for your classroom to commemorate the December 7,1941 attack. 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. Image courtesy of the US Coast Guard. Map courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command. Learn more about Douglas Munro. Serving aboard a high endurance Coast Guard cutter is quite an experience. Lieutenant Edith Munro, US Coast Guard. Arriving there as raw boots they were put to mowing lawns, cleaning up and … 6.7K likes. His first role model was his mother, Edith, and he would eventually be hers. Commissioned in 1971, Douglas Munro is the Coast Guard’s only remaining 378-foot High Endurance Cutter from a fleet that was once twelve strong. The cutter’s hull day, July 24, correlates with its hull number, 724. The tenth of twelve 378-foot cutters, MUNRO was the first to be named after a Coast Guard hero - Signalman First Class Douglas Munro. 504-528-1944. In June, President Roosevelt directed the Coast Guard to man four large transports and serve in mixed crews on board twenty-two naval ships. 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 … For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook. USCGC Munro (WMSL-755) is the sixth Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard. On the island, Japanese forces had withdrawn to the western side of the river, necessitating the insertion of Marine forces in an attempt to dominate the area and prevent Japanese forces from establishing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. The Coast Guard named three ships in his honor: USCGCs Munro, Douglas Munro and the USS Douglas A. Munro. The white shield on his sleeve identifies him as Coast Guard. 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. All rights reserved. Evans noticed a trail of waterspouts nearby as Japanese bullets got nearer to the boats. From his Official Military Personnel File, National Archives, St. Louis. 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. 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. High Endurance Cutters have a crew of 160 and have long served as the capital ships of the Coast Guard cutter fleet. This is the official Coast Guard painting of Munro’s last moments while evacuating Marines at Guadalcanal. 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 was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New … The stay in Boston was not to last long, howev… 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. 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 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. A thousand yards out, Munro noticed a reef, and led the small fleet of landing craft around it, putting the Marines ashore about 100 yards off their target. 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. Munro received the decoration posthumously for his actions as officer-in-charge of a group of landing craft on September 27, 1942, … He stayed in the Coast Guard, eventually receiving a commission, and retiring as a Commander. 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. At her own insistence, she went through boot camp as any recruit would do, requesting no special treatment. 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 … So on the afternoon of September 27, 1942, when a fatally-wounded Navy Coxswain named Samuel B. Roberts slammed his shot-to-shit Higgins Boat landing craft into the beach at Lunga Point Base at 20 miles an hour, it didn’t take long for Coast Guard Signalman First Class Douglas Munro to grab his … Members from Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro stand in formation on the back of the cutter, July 24, 2020. Douglas Munro was born to James and Edith in October 1919, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Jacob Marx, File) While Spencer conducted Neutrality Patrols on the East Coast, Munro and Evans began to train for the rate of signalman. The 11 at-sea boardings bolstered U.S. presence that promoted a strong deterrent value, relevancy, and directly contributed to the economic stability and food security for the region. The next day he evacuated casualties, returning them to McCawley. Reporting back to the transport ship he learned he was being transferred yet again. 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. 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. By the winter of 1945, millions of American military personnel were on the move, but they were not alone. Over the next year, Munro and Evans, always together, moved between transport ships with Transport Division 17. Beaching the boat, he jumped down to Munro, who had just regained consciousness. Since World War II , the two services have further solidified our close ties during joint operations such as Coast Guard naval gunfire support of I-Corps Marine units during the Vietnam … Throughout their patrol, the crew maintained strict health precautionary measures and minimized interactions with others to ensure sustained mission readiness. On September 27, a message from the group was either misinterpreted or ambiguous, leading division headquarters to believe they had crossed the river and were fighting there. A copy of the telegram sent to Munroâs mother, Edith on October 21, 1942, informing her of the death of her son. 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. 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. Arriving at the rendezvous spot, the boats quickly came under withering fire from the beach. 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,â¦, Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, Coming To America: The War Brides Act of 1945, âAmerica Remembers Wake Island and Is Proudâ: The Battle That Lifted a Nationâs Morale in 1941, The Path Through the Soviet Union and China to Pearl Harbor, Curator's Choice: The Book of the Dead and Dying. Noticing a landing craft stuck on the reef, Munro pulled alongside it, where Marines tied a tow rope to it. The United States Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aware of his familyâs good fortune, Munro was moved to help those in need. Elements of Lieutenant Colonel Lewis âChestyâ Pullerâs 1st Battalion, 7th Marines moved out on September 23 for an exploratory mission, but quickly ran into trouble. Hitler and his staff kept driving German troops onward to Moscow to impel Imperial Japan to enter the war. The dedication of the ship took place on April 15, 1972, at Munro's first homeport of Boston, Massachusetts. Munro, climbing the superstructure of Spencer. While patrolling in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, the Douglas Munro crew rendezvoused with Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755). This map shows the area where Pullerâs men were operating. info@nationalww2museum.org Douglas A.Munro, USCG, South Cle Elum, Washington. The cutter is named after Douglas Munro, a Cle Elum native and the only service member from the Coast Guard ever honored with the Medal of Honor. It was commissioned in 2017 with Julie Sheehan—Munro's great-niece—serving as the ship's sponsor. 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. Historian Richard Frank explores the influence of China and the Soviet Union in the Japanese decision to attack American territories in December 1941. Evans grabbed the wheel and sped back to Lunga Point. Image courtesy of the US Coast Guard. In July 1942, Munro was transferred to USS McCawley (APA-10). Evans watched as a bullet struck the base of Munroâs skull and he fell to the deck. Helping others became a passion for Munro and set him on a path towards the United States Coast Guard. 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. Our Nationâs highest military award for valor is given for action above and beyond the call of duty. When Munro was just two years old, his family moved to Washington, eventually settling the small town of Cle Elum. Munro and Evans became inseparable when they enlisted on the same date, earning the nickname âThe Gold Dust Twins.â This is Evans at his enlistment, age 18. “This has been an extremely exciting and rewarding patrol,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. The USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO had this gorgeous sunrise on Coast Guard Day 2019 while in the Bering Sea. The Coast Guard's participation in amphibious activity during World War II was perhaps the most important war-related job the service performed. Two ships were named in Douglas Munro's honor. From McCawley, Munro landed Marines in the third wave to land on Tulagi. At 12:30 p.m., the boats were away, headed towards the shore. At Central Washington College of Education, Munro was an excellent student, but yearned for something more exciting. Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro conducted a boarding in the Pacific Ocean, July 24, 2020. In June 1941, Munro got orders to report aboard a transport ship, USS Hunter Liggett (AP-27). 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. Copyright © 2020 Coast Guard News. Then, on September 21, the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) arrived and Munro and Evans were selected to be crew. In order to qualify for the rating, Munro had to learn to send and receive Morse code via telegraph and blinker light, learn how to send and receive messages via signal flags, and how to encode and decode messages. Munro asked Evans, âDid they get off?â Evans replied the Marines had, and Munro died. The ship's original compliment included 17 officers and 143 enlisted men, under the ship's … They formed an immediate friendship and became inseparable. 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. Ingalls prepares to christen Coast Guard cutter Munro November 13, 2015 at 9:56 PM CST - Updated July 2 at 5:15 AM The 400 plus foot U.S. Coast Guard vessel is named for Douglas Munro. The Douglas A. Munro Award for inspirational leadership is awarded to the Coast Guard enlisted member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and professional competence to the extent of their rank and rate. 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. He failed to return to the ship. Coast Guard training in the latter part of 1939 was virtually nonexistent. 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 Guardâs only World War II Medal of Honor recipient. Life there was full of outdoor activities, and Munro was a good athlete, participating in several sports in high school. 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). 2020 Munro Inspirational Leadership Award Winner: ME3 Erin … âFor 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. Edith joined to continue her sonâs legacy and made a name for herself as an officer in the SPARS. Douglas Munro - High School graduation Since there was no training station in the Coast Guard in 1939, Ray was put in charge of a group of about 12 enlistees, including Munro, and placed on a bus to the Coast Guard Air Station at Port Angeles. 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