Honoring Hometown Heroes

Last Memorial Day, my friend Greg posted a picture of Douglas Munro’s tombstone. In his small town, Munro was a true hometown war hero. Greg suggested looking him up.

So, I googled Munro’s name and quickly discovered that in the entire history of the US Coast Guard, there has only been one person ever awarded the Medal of Honor—it was him, Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro. I wanted to know more. 


It was September 27, 1942, a month into the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. Munro and others were navigating landing craft full of Marines along the coast of Guadalcanal which is one of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The Marines were attempting to capture the western region of the island. Munro took control of 10 landing craft and moved the men to the coastline. 

 


Just an hour after successfully landing the men, the Marines faced Japanese bombing raids—which drove out their gunfire support. They were driven back to the beach—anyone near enough could see their desperation—they had spelled out “HELP” with T-shirts on a ridge near the shoreline.

 

Munro volunteered to navigate the same landing craft to rescue the Marines from merciless attack. As he neared the beach, he braved enemy fire. As the Marines re-embarked his vessel, he maneuvered the craft between the Marines and the enemy—offering the Marines the cover they needed. He even helped free a landing craft full of Marines that had gotten grounded.

 


Thanks to his efforts, all the Marines were safely evacuated from the island. On his final run, the Japanese forces on the island got close enough and began firing machine gun rounds at the departing troops. Munro was struck by a single bullet. After briefly regaining consciousness Munro asked one thing, “Did they get off?” In the letter sent by the commanding officer to Munro’s parents—he wrote, “He died with a smile on his face and the full knowledge that he had successfully accomplished a dangerous mission.”  Douglas Munro, who died at age 22, posthumously received our nation’s highest military award: the Medal of Honor. 


There is a bond between service men and women—a willingness to sacrifice—which is exactly what Douglas Munro did. He lost his life, so a detachment of Marines might live. There are hometown heroes all across America—they paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I need to remember and appreciate their sacrifice, far more often than I do. 




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