Hero of the Week 44

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Douglas Munro

Douglas Munro was born on October 11, 1919 in Vancouver, Canada. His family later moved to Washington State. After he graduated from high school, Douglas attended a year of college before choosing to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard. Although he expected to protect America's shores, little did he know that the Coast Guard would be called to duty in a way he never could have expected.

When World War II began, Douglas Munro was one of many people who answered the call to duty. Although the US Coast Guard was used to protecting American shorelines, they quickly found themselves playing a major combat role in the American war effort in the Pacific. Their mission was to pilot small boats (called a Higgins Boat) carrying marines from ships to their landing zones on an enemy beach. They were also supposed to evacuate wounded marines and sailors. This usually had to be done while under heavy enemy fire. Their actions would make a key difference in the pivotal campaign on Guadalcanal.

On September 27, 1942, Signalman First Class Douglas Munro was part of a number of Coast Guardsman that were transporting around 500 marines to a beachhead on Guadalcanal called, Point Cruz. Their mission was to establish a patrol base in order to attack and drive the Japanese west of a key river (Matanikau River) on the island. Just minutes after the marines left the beach, they were ambushed by a large Japanese force. It became clear that the marines would all be killed unless someone came to their rescue. Munro was the first to volunteer.

Munro quickly led five Higgins boats to the beach in order to pick up the marines that were retreating from the jungle. As they got to the beach, the rescue boats began to receive heavy fire from the Japanese. In an act of complete courage, Munro placed his boat directly in the line of fire (in the river just beyond the beach) in order to draw enemy fire away from the other boats that were rescuing the marines. By doing this, he had also made it so that the Japanese would have to pass his boat in order to attack the others on the beach evacuating the marines. 

Since there were so many of them to evacuate and only five boats (including Munro's), multiple trips had to be made. Getting the wounded on board also made the evacuation painfully slow. Munro's boat received murderous fire from the Japanese guns in the jungle. It was not long before Douglas Munro was struck. However, he (along with his close friend, Raymond Evans) continued to fire back at the enemy using his boat's machine gun. After he was hit a second time, he did not get up. Luckily, all the surviving marines had been safely evacuated from Point Cruz. Munro's crew then quickly turned their boat around and headed away from the beach. As he was lying in his boat, Douglas Munro asked Evans, "Did they get off?". Those were his last words. 

Signalman First Class Douglas Munro died just minutes after his Higgins boat had pulled away from Point Cruz. He was 22 years old. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. He was the first member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive the highest award in the American military. As of today, he remains the only serviceman of the Coast Guard to receive it. His friend, Chief Signalman Raymond Evans, received the Navy Cross.

When it comes to combat in World War II and the many conflicts that followed, the actions of the U.S. Coast Guard are have not been largely acknowledged. Instead those who serve in the Coast Guard are mostly remembered for rescuing people along the American coastline. Many people have forgotten that the Coast Guard is a vital importance to the American military and have played several key roles in combat. Douglas Munro was one of these courageous individuals. He risked his life and made the ultimate sacrifice to save his comrades. As a direct result of his actions, more than 500 marines were successfully rescued from the ambush at Point Cruz. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2012/09/the-legacy-of-signalman-1st-class-douglas-munro/

http://www.dodlive.mil/2017/08/06/only-coast-guard-medal-of-honor-recipient-saved-500-marines/

https://veteransfuneralcare.com/blog/the-story-of-douglas-munro-the-only-member-of-the-coast-guard-to-receive-the-medal-of-honor

http://www.uscglightshipsailors.org/mil_stories/CMH/