Pacifist turned hero part lll

Over the past several years I have often brought you news items about Vancouver BC born Douglas Munro. Events at his grave in Cle Elum, (a state historic site) and especially the fact that not long ago the United States Coast Guard Head Quarters building back in Washington DC was recently named in his honor.

Recruits in both the US Marines and the USCG learn during their basic training about Douglas' heroism some 75 years ago. It was on an island so far away and called Guadalcanal that he and others rescued the marines who had been driven off the island and into the ocean.

Guadalcanal is one of a handful of islands known as the Solomons, and located  north east of Australia. It was here that the Japanese were starting to build an airfield that would give tactical advantage that the Allies could not allow, Thus, taking the island became one of the American first objectives after joining the war. (The red balloon shows Guadalcanal.)

The first maps are further enlarged with this third one. It shows Honlara as the 3rd town along the northern coast of the island of Guadalcanal at bottom right. At the coastline immediately above this area and slightly to the left is a small point of land known at Point Cruz. It would be at the waters edge just to the left of this point where Douglas Munro and his crew of Higgins landing craft rescued the lives of some 500 Marines. Some of whom I believed went on to earn Medals of Honor. And one being the later famous Chesty Puller.

And it would be here that Douglas Munro would yet again show his bravery, but this time at the cost of his life. And from these actions he would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

In the earlier blogs I noted that the Navy named a destroyer escort after Douglas and the Coast Guard followed with a high endurance cutter named in his honour and stationed to this day at Kodiac Alaska.

About three years ago it was announced that the 6th of a series of newer... bigger and faster and much more powerful LEGEND CLASS cutters would be built and named in honour of First Class Signalman Douglas Munro.
 
You can watch an 11 minute video about this latest class of cutters at    www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUs1GeBty6E

The new Munro cutter's  hull was laid down in mid 2013, and by Dec 2015 she was launched along the east coast of the US. On 15 Nov 2015 USCGC Munro (WMSL 755) was christened by his great grand niece Julie Sheehan. Watch this video...   www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmTS5TXqv7g 

Like purchasing a car and doing the usual tire kicking, the cutter was put though her own sea trials last August.

The trials must have been successful as Commander King, the new ship's Captain was later given the key to the ignition switch (hehe) by Dereck Murphy, the Cutter program manager at  the Ingalls yard at Pascagoula Miss, as USCG Commander Chris Webb, the Commander  of the guard's Resident Office, Gulf Coast watches. It appears the key did not come with a spare. Hmmm!

Soon the cutter would start her less than boring (see last 2 blogs) sailing some 8,000 miles, down through the Gulf of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and northbound to Seattle for some final checking of nuts and bolts I guess, and then the most formal Commissioning on 1 April.

This image was taken on approaching Seattle Washington.

The tugs have just about completed pushing her up to the Pier 91  docks along the Seattle waterfront. The Large building to the left is where the reception and Commissioning ceremony took place.

Here is yet another video showing the Cutter's arrival at Seattle.   www.dvidshub.net/video/516454/coast-guard-cutter-munro-arrives-seattle

In the last blog I spoke of the opportunity to speak with the officers and crew, and present them with a flag of Canada, in remembrance if Munro's Canadian birth. In those remarks, like others with many dignitaries on Friday and Saturday, I reminded all of the incredible ever expanding numbers of non-American born Medal of Honor recipients there were. Prior to leaving the pier on Friday  this photo was taken.

It was probably also on Friday at some point that the Captain and  crew presented these plaques....

Several years ago I had the privilege of interviewing Pat Sheehan. She was  Doug Munro's sister and only a few years older than Douglas, and also Vancouver BC born. Her son, also called Douglas, is shown at above right. Next to him is cousin Eliza Sheehan, and at his far right is his daughter Julie. These plaques are identical to the one presented to me on Friday 30 March. 

On Saturday an early morning allowed all to meet and greet many dignitaries, senior Coast Guard officers, actual crew members, descendants and others. At one point I was talking to an officer who it turns out is the CG's national chaplain. Even more interesting, he was one of the handful that came out in Washington DC for the unveiling of the new marker for Joseph Noil a few months back and of which you have read much in this space.

In a chat with him and the top officer in the CG, the Commandant, Admiral  Zukunft I expressed my thanks on learning of all the work the CG does in DC to help clean up and make repairs etc, and even place flags and do remembrance services for the veterans buried at St Elizabeth's were Noil lies at rest. More particularly, the Guard's help in conducting the new marker unveiling ceremony for him a few months back was recognized. A ceremony that corrected Noil's burial under the wrong name for about 134 years.

It was also very rewarding to meet with and briefly discussed my work with Vice Admiral Midgette, Commander of the Pacfic Area  and Defense Force West as well as Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan who chairs a committee  that overseas the work of the CG and other entities, all part of the new Homeland Security Department.  The Senator said he would have one of his staff make connections with me.

Members of the US Navy band North West entertained during the reception and at several points during the formal commissioning ceremony.

Having seen the pictures of Doug Sheehan many times on the net, he was easy to pick out of a crowd of close to 500 by the time the ceremony started. When I mentioned to him that I would like to see some form of a monument   honouring Doug Munro at Vancouver BC, he and several others were most interested. As plans start to come to paper I will speak again with them for input.

Note I am wearing a gold star. This was the "ticket" into the reception. I am also wearing the Canadian Forces Decoration medal and the Sovereign Medal for Volunteers, on left as you look at the image above.

I also had a brief chat with Gary Williams, as I believe I mentioned in last blog. Gary wrote the book that came out about a year ago about Douglas, and called... the Guardian of Guadalcanal. He has promised an autographed copy will be coming my way soon.

Here you can see the crew gathering just before the seats became full, and all would be called to "attention" as the dignitaries took their places on the platform.

The band then played the US National Anthem, and the Sea Service Ceremonial Honor Guard smartly marched in the Colours. Then followed Captain Gregory Todd from DC as above mentioned with the Invocation and then we heard from the President of Ingalls who briefed us on the Legend Class new cutters and the story of the Cutter Munro's life of just 3 short years so far.

Next came a few words from retired Captain Miller, who is the serving President of the Navy League's Seattle Council and proud host of this very event. Vice Admiral Midgette, Commander of the Pacific Area and Defense Force West then spoke. These were followed by remarks from the Coast Guard's Commandant and the Senator from Alaska.

The theme from most was the incredible heroism of Doug Munro, the legacy he has given for the guard to carry on at the highest level despite obstacles that would challenge most on a daily basis, and to keep the enviable record of coast guard service, now over 225 years long, for the next 225 and more.

The Commandant (on right)  has just commissioned the Cutter and now congratulates its new Captain,. Commander Thomas King. A snapshot in time that will remain with these officers and some 500 others in the room for many a year.

After brief remarks from Captain Thomas, he went about setting the first duty watch on the cutter. For this he requested the assistance of Ms. Eliza Sheehan who would present the symbolic Long Glass, (telescope) to the first ever Officer of the Watch.

At center stage we see the Long Glass being presented to the officer who must soon send her first watch of guardsman to their duties. Following this, her cousin Julie, who is the official sponsor of the cutter, and to whom the christening fell last year, would "Bring the Cutter to Life" by so stating it has now been commissioned.

The Commander of Pacific Area would then order the ship's crew to report for duties at which all crew made a sharp left turn and exit the reception area at the double quick time,  double out to the cutter's ramps, and up they went to their to their duty stations.

While all of this was going on the ship also hoisted it's colours. The men and women taking the stations and the rising colours were very emotional moments for most in the room.

If you click on this link, you can watch this actually happening... foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/national-security-cutter-munro-is-americas-real-border-1794003759  

(Scroll down to 2nd image and click on it.)

A few days later the Munro sailed out of the Seattle harbour and traveled south about 800 miles to her first home port at Alameda California. Once the home port of her sister.. the Douglas Munro of Kodiac.

Here is a video of the Munro as she approaches, and goes under the Golden Gate and on to her new home just a few more miles away.
www.dvidshub.net/video/518244/coast-guard-cutter-munro-arrives-bay-area-b-roll

That's more than enough for today. Please feel free to offer your comments, and join me again next Sunday and a story of another Canadian hero lost to most historians north of the 49th parallel. And this one will be of most interest to the ladies in the audience.

till then,

Bart