Douglas Albert Munro was born on October 11, 1919 in Vancouver, Canada. His father was an American and his mother was English. In 1922, when Munro was three years old, he and his sister became naturalized U.S. citizens. He grew up in South Cle Elum, Washington and was educated at South Cle Elum Grade School. After graduating in 1937, he attended Central Washington College of Education (now Central Washington University) for a year before leaving to enlist in the United States Coast Guard in 1939.
As there was no basic training station in the Coast Guard in 1939, Munro along with a dozen other enlistees was put on a bus and sent to the Coast Guard Air Station at Port Angeles. Arriving there as fresh boots they were put to work mowing lawns, cleaning the facilities, and servicing aircraft. Seven days into this routine an announcement was made asking for volunteers to fill vacancies aboard USCGC Spencer at Base Staten Island, New York. Munro was quick to volunteer and served aboard until early 1941, earning the Signalman 3rd Class rating during the tour. Following this advancement he rose quickly through the ranks to Signalman 1st Class.
In 1941, the Coast Guard was ordered to man three attack transports, the Hunter Leggett, the American Legion, and the Joseph T. Dickman, all of which had been transferred to the service by the U.S. Army. At his request Munro was released from the Spencer to join the Hunter Leggett at the Brooklyn Army Base.
In September 1942 Munro, 22, was attached to the Hunter Leggett when it saw it saw action in the Second Battle of the Matanikau during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Munro was in charge of a detachment of ten boats which succesfully landed U.S. Marines on shore, but due to unexpected battlefield conditions required their near immediate evacuation. Munro volunteered for the task and returned the boats to shore under heavy enemy fire, then proceeded to evacuate the men off the beach. Munro positioned himself and his boats so they would serve as cover for the Marines, and in doing so suffered a fatal wound. His final words, made as the boats returned to the Hunter Leggett loaded with 250 Marines, were “Did they get off?”
For the actions described above the Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to Munro in May 1943 by President Roosevelt in a ceremony at the White House. The citation read as follows:
The President of the United States
in the Name of The Congress
Takes Pleasure in Presenting the
Medal of Honor
to
MUNRO, DOUGLAS ALBERT
Rank and organization: Signalman First Class, U.S. Coast Guard
Born: 11 October 1919, Vancouver, British Columbia. Accredited to Washington.
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry m 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. 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. 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 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. 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. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Munro’s Medal of Honor is on display at the United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey. He received the Navy version of the Medal of Honor because at the time the Coast Guard was operating under the Department of the Navy and no separate Coast Guard version of the medal existed. A Medal of Honor version for Coast Guard personnel has since been approved, but has never been designed or minted.
Douglas Albert Munro is buried at Laurel Hill Memorial Park in Cle Elum, Washington.
Source: Duane Vachon, PhD – Hawaii Reporter