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Only Medal of Honor recipient in the Coast Guard

This guy died while retrieving Marines under fire from Guadalcanal. He is every Coasties inspiration and I was surprised Marines hold a ceremony for him as well once a year.


The following is a copy of LCDR Dexter's letter to the parents of Douglas Munro written soon after their son was killed in action with the enemy at Guadalcanal on 27 September 1942. LCDR Dexter was Munro's commanding officer at the time of Munro's death.


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"Guadalcanal, BSI

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Munro:

Believe me when I say sincerely that this is a very sad letter for me to write advising you of the death of your son Douglas, but as Commanding Officer of the unit to which he was attached at the time of his death, I have pride in telling you that he covered himself with honor and I hope Glory, and fulfilled the mission so satisfactorily that almost all of the men he had under his charge returned to their unit and, without exception, all had praise for your son's execution of his duties.

It was a year ago last June that Douglas and Raymond Evans came to me and asked if they could be transferred to Captain Ashe's staff. I succeeded in getting them and since that day have felt that Douglas was one of my boys, for both Douglas and Ray Evans have been with me and his loss has left a very decided space which I feel will never be filled so far as I am concerned.

On Sunday the 27th of September and expedition was sent into an area where trouble was to be expected. Douglas was in charge of the ten boats which took the men down. In the latter part of the afternoon, the situation had not developed as had been anticipated and in order to save the expedition it became necessary to send the boats back to evacuate the expedition. Volunteers were called for and, true to the highest traditions of the Coast Guard and also to traditions with which you imbued your son, he was among the first to volunteer and was put in charge of the detail.

The evacuation was as successful as could be hoped for under fire. But as always happens, the last men to leave the beach are the hardest pressed because they have been acting as the covering agents for the withdrawal of the other men, and your son, knowing this, so placed himself and his boats so that he could act as the covering agent for the last men, and by his action and successful maneuvers brought back a far greater number of men than had been even hoped for. He received his wound just as the last men were getting in the boats and clearing the beach. Upon regaining consciousness his only question was 'Did they get off?' and so died with a smile on his face and the full knowledge that he had successfully accomplished a dangerous mission.

I am sending this to you direct for I feel that you should have the privilege of knowing the facts, but request that you keep it confidential until such time as the official notification is received. I regret having to make this request but feel that it is for the good of all concerned. I consider this is a personal letter and not an official report.

In the year and a half that I have known Douglas, I have grown to admire him and through him, you. He was the true type of American manhood that is going to win this war and I hereby promise that I will make all efforts to personally call on you whenever it is my privilege to be near Cle Elum and to pay homage to you both as parents of Douglas.

Sincerely and respectfully,

(Sgd) D. H. Dexter

Lt. Comdr., U.S. Coast Guard

I have no picture to post. But I post this in memory of my first cousin who died after 3 months in Viet Nam. Only son. Missed to this day. But I never have doubted he died for the defense of his country. My Dad somehow missed WWII and Korea due to his age just hitting right. But he did serve in the National Guard as about 99% of men used too. GOD bless all who have served and died for love of county and freedom.

Staff Sergeant Ned Powers, Silver Creek, NE. Flew 31 missions aboard a B-17G as waist gun/bombardier with the 15th Air Force, based in Foggia, Italy. After V-E, Dad furloughed home, and was on a train en route to the west coast, for transition to B-29s, and to enter the Pacific theater. He was greatly relieved when news that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had forced the Japanese surrender during his train ride.

Here's a photo taken during a heritage flight of the restored B-17G Aluminum Overcast. http://www.b17.org/

We flew in '02 or '03, and I can't quite describe Dad's behavior that day. He was a young man again, with a glide to his step and a sparkle in his eye. It was one of the Top Ten days of his life, and mine, too. I'll leave a wreath for him Memorial Day.

My Grandfather

My grandfather was on the USS Meredith when it was destroyed on D-Day. He had recently switched positions with a higher-ranking person who wanted his job. That man was killed in the explosion along with everyone else in that section of the ship. My grandfather, who had moved closer to the front of the ship only hours before, was thrown a long distance and knocked unconscious. He showed me on a picture of the Meredith "I was standing here when the explosion happened, and I woke up over here." It looked like 100 feet to me.
Strange thing is that he never talked about his experiences in the Navy that much his whole life. We always knew that he was in WW2, and also that he had come close to dying in an explosion, but the details were never there. It was about a year before his death that a History Channel show about the Meredith sparked him to talk about it. He was flipping channels late one night and suddenly saw his own face (but younger) looking back at him as the narrator said ". . . unidentified crewmen".

Navy Pictures




At my parent's wedding:



With me and my sister in 1985:


Bikin it:


80th Birthday


His health went downhill after this, he didn't make it to 81.
He left behind 7 children, 26 grandchildren and I believe that there were 12 great-grandchildren at the time of his death.
Funny side-note. You may notice the blaze-orange ribbon on his glasses. That was so he could find his glasses when he wasn't wearing them. It had an interesting side effect though, and that was that occasionally, hummingbirds would peck the him when we was sitting out on the porch. My grandma once said "There is a hummingbird pecking at you, don't you feel that?"
"Oh is there? I was worried I was imagining it!"

These pictures are of my father-in-law Cpl. James Wilmot. He was a Marine and served in Vietnam in 1969.

He was wounded in Vietnam and sent back where he spent his 21st birthday in a hospital.

My grandfather:

Thomas Elbert Fletcher, USMC WWII
February 14, 1921-April 14, 1994
2nd son of Elbert Paulk Fletcher
Attended Fitzgerald High School.

Photo taken May, 1945 in Jacksonville, Florida.

He served in WWII in the South Pacific and was wounded on Guadalcanal. (Shrapnel wound in his thigh.) He said it was at "Bloody Nose Ridge". He described the event to the family as follows;

"We were with a group of officers who spread out a map to find our location. A piece of shrapnel landed in the middle of the map. They grabbed the map and we were scrambling to find some better cover when I felt something hit my leg like someone hit it with a bat or rock. I didn't feel any pain. I put my hand down to feel it and when I pulled my hand away it was covered in blood."

He recovered and served thru the Island campaign to near the end of the war when he was discharged with a small amount of disability. He is named in the Navy Dept's book of WWII wounded.

After the war he tried several jobs and eventually went to Tennessee to work in the offices of his mother's brother, Daniel Oscar Harris, who was an attorney, while he went to Law School. He took the Bar Examination in Georgia and when he did not pass, he waived his disability and went back into the Marines where he retired. After his retirement he took a Civil Service job with the Marines at Parris Island and Lived at Port Royal, South Carolina.

He is buried in the Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.
James Rodgers, Copyright ©2005

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James Rodgers is his nephew, and big into genealogy - just pulled this from his site.

The link to the Snopes article about this actual photo/article:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/military/embrace.asp

wow this thread has me thinking of alot of people and is a good reminder to myself to give a call to alot of my friends and fam' and say thanks.

My cousin Joey a Airborne Ranger who got out of the service recently..............



he served in Iraq when we first went in, IIRC he was on the first plane to land in baghdad, then Afghanastan, then Iraq agin before he got out.
Ive got a couple good ones of him in one of Saddams cribs posed next to one of the big Hussein fam' portraits so that it looks like hes got his arm around one of saddams sons{cant remember which} but thats not on his myspace so I would want to ask him before I posted it.

I think I have a couple of my Dad from his days in the Navy 77-81 on my hard drive that ill put up in a second. He med washed out of BUD/S and ended up aboard the USS Elliot for the remainder of his service.

I will also see about putting up some pics from my good friend Jasons tour in Iraq.

I will also ask my dad about putting up a pic of his father in uniform. He proudly served in the Navy and served his country in Korea. He died when my father was three so I never met him but he was an avid hunter, shooter, and a skilled gunsmith. As well as a bit of a loquashish drinkin brawlin irishman as I have heard{so some things really are genetic I guess}

I feel kinda proud right now to be a part of the heritage of all the service men and women of this great country. In times of war and in times of peace my familly on both sides in the past and present, my friends right now and in the future, have answered the call and proudly served there country and im downright greatfull.

My father served in the Korean War. My son is a Navy Corpsman.

My dad was a Gunship pilot for the South Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam war.

The stories he and his buddies told me when I was growing up always (and still do) made me wide-eyed with awe when I was a kid.

A funny side note: at a recent gun show we were remarking how expensive AKs and Government Issue 1911s are these days. He told me "man...back in Vietnam we had piles of those guns lying around...and now look how much they're worth!"

Too bad he didn't bring any back.

Dad served in Patton's Third Army in WW2 as a truck driver. Mom said he made corporal a couple of times. The only wound he suffered was a broken wrist when he stood up in a jeep to hug some French women. He fell out and broke his wrist. I used to think I was the only foul up in the family.

Ironically, about two hours before reading this thread, I went to ancestor.com and checked out his service record. He enlisted in Louisville, KY, in the army on Feb 1, 1943. He was 20 years old, 6' 3" tall, and weighed 145 pounds.

He never talked much about his service, as he never felt there was much to talk about.

My late father-in-law was career military. Major in the army (82nd Airborne) who served two tours in Vietnam. He died in the mid 90s from, what the army said, was exposure to agent orange.

His medals are some of our most prized possessions, occupying a prominent place in our home.

I wanted to post, but can't find at the moment, a picture of my great uncle, who was an artillery officer in the 'War to End All Wars'. He was old enough to read the newspaper when the Wright Brothers made their first flight. He mapped ground water formations all over the mountain west, often by horseback, and in the Middle East. He had a huge buck whitetail on his office wall. He lived in Washington, DC back when it was a nice place to live. He watched Americans walk on the moon. He played golf every day until he was 98, and then quit driving so only played pitch and putt in his yard. On his 100th birthday he sent $100 bills to each and every living friend and relative. At just short of 102 he went to join his WWI buddies in a better place. He was a first generation American.

There are no photos of my Revolutionary War relatives, who were the second generation in the new world.

Other relatives served in The War of 1812, The Civil War (both sides), and many in WWII. None served in Korea, and I was the only one of the proper age for Viet Nam. However, I was employed in a very special job instead.

One of my sons served in the Army for 6 years, and then joined the Air Force. Another is about to enter the Coast Guard.

My LIttle Bother.

More for Veterans day than Memorial Day but.

Here is to my little brother



Like every red blooded American male of age, right after Sept 11th I started thinking about signing up. My little brother who was also of age seemed to think it was a great idea as well. Then my business took off and my plans changed. He joined the Army. Cav Scout.

He was gone for months at a time and I missed my little brother. We where all proud when we went to visit him in Kentucky after basic. Strange seeing him looking tougher than me. He was harder, more squared away and he oozed character and confidence you wouldn't see in many men twice his age.

He was stationed in Fort Hood, and we visited a few times. As time went by we noticed he was missing home more and more. He missed his friends and he missed us. He had a new family, the guys he worked and trained with.

He was all set to come home, he served his two years and the family had plans to go out and pick him up I would finally get to hand out with my "adult" little brother for the first time. He turned 21 while in the Army and him and I never got to share that first time out at the bar and all the craziness that goes with it. So we were all surprised when he called us to tell us he was going to Iraq. He was pretty upset about it but he was ready for the adventure.





He came home for Christmas on leave and was a completely different person. It was like I didnt even know him. Again we were all proud of him. His skin was rougher and his receding hairline was accelerated by the constant wearing of his helmet while patrolling Iraq in various Humvees and Bradly's in heat like I will never know.

When he left for Iraq the first time it was tough but before he left for the second time I hugged him so hard and we both shared a tear. Maybe because I had already had to imagine all the possibilities while he was away the first time. I knew if anything happed I would have had to be strong for the rest of the family. We all had our passports ready in case we had to go see him in Germany in the event he was injured. These are pretty hard things to plan for.

He went back to Iraq, It's hard not to imagine the s**t he experiences over there. He doesnt talk about anything bad, and I dont expect him to. I know he saw action as friends where seriously wounded while he was with them.











We all went to Texas to welcome him home and they had this cool ceremony and all the familys had signs and it was a really emotional experience. There were families there who where only there to welcome the soldiers who served with their loved ones as they would not be coming home.

I am glad to have my brother home. He recently signed up for the reserves.


Here is my brother and I on vacation in Hawaii visiting Pearl Harbor. We got to meet a couple of survivors from the attack on December 7th 1941

Thanks to all the Vets here at THR.

Mods, can we have a sticky?

While I certainly am supportive of my friends and relatives that are in service, I am not so sure that just posting their pictures, names and personal info on an internet site, that is read by, well. others.............. is such a good idea.

My wifes father who is still living. Joined the paratroopers and was in the original 101st Airborne. He jumped in at Normandy and was at all of the major engagements. He was on Eisenhowers honor guard during the Nuremburg trials. He was never wounded and is a kind and gentle old man. He has no hard feelings towards the Germans and says they were excellent soldiers.
He just got back from a trip to Europe that a wealthy man from Australia funded for some veterans. The trip was very hard on him and he got sick over there, and my wife had to go to Washington DC to get him as he caught pneumonia and bronchitus over there. He said that the trip was worth it and that seeing the villages and the people over there who are so grateful to the Americans made him come to a peace with a lot of his memories from +60 years ago.
There were 3 other brothers who all served in heavy combat in WWII and only one was wounded bad. John had a german bullet in his brain the day he died about 2 years ago. He was shot and left for dead but they found him still breathing but the bullet could not be removed. He lived a full life with a glass eye and had a family and everything. One of the other brothers was in the 10 mountain division and made it thru. Other brother was in Navy and was on the ships during all the suicide attacks.
All of these men have died within the last 5 years and my wifes Daddy is the last one.
He is a true hero.
For what it is worth, after the trip to Europe he wants to go to Washington and tell the politicians that fighing for the right to preserve freedom is worth it.
My Dad was in Korea and made it home.
I cannot begin to express the debt that I and we owe all the men and women who have served and are serving.
God Bless them, and I pray for them and their families daily.
I don't have any pics here.

I dont see a problem with posting my brothers pictures, I am proud of him.

My father served in the Navy during the waning says of WWII. He was drafted at 17 and sent to officer's school at 18, but the war ended before training started. Somewhere along the line he was invited to join the VFW. He filled out the application and was rejected outright. Seems the VFW wasn't interested in veterans who served in the German navy!

I joined the Marine Corps during the waning days of Vietnam, so I didn't get to go. I did six years and got out. A few years later I joined the Guard and served almost 26 years before retiring last month. I am a veteran of the Afghanistan Campaign, where I flew on 77 combat missions as a C-130 loadmaster. I did get to join the VFW.

+1 for the sticky. Maybe it's only partially gun related but a sticky to honor all of my brothers in arms who were and/or are fighting for all of our rights, including 2A and 1A should warrant a sticky...if anything to remind people why we have these rights.

I was a 20 and an infantryman in the 4th Inf in Nam in 68-69.We lost a lot of men but two I remember constantly:Steve Dundas and Wayne Bernoska both KIA on March 5th,1969.I have in the past few years spoke to their respective families just to let them know that are missed. Byron

http://ivydragoons.org/Files/Hill 947 Story_htm.html

The above is but a brief summary of that day.

My Dad... this was in 2003, with Mom, when he was 89. WWII, Army, South Pacific, 43rd Infantry, MILK Battalion, I Company. He will be, with God's blessing, 93 on Flag Day, 14 June. He is but a shadow of this man in the photo now, with Alzheimer's and dementia. He has said he wishes to be cremated and scattered in the South Pacific with all his buddies. I think Mom's trying to discourage him on that idea. A good man, with an incredible life behind him.

Love you, Pop...

Great Thread

This thread is a great tribute. Thanks for starting it.

Retired Army
33+ years

While I certainly am supportive of my friends and relatives that are in service, I am not so sure that just posting their pictures, names and personal info on an internet site, that is read by, well. others.............. is such a good idea.

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I think it is a great idea. People need to read these type of accounts. These
are all people that felt the need to serve in one form or another the country
they love. Some stories have humor and others tears but all of them have pride.

I sometimes get the feeling that the general public is disconnected from the
those that serve. They are just people one hears about in passing or "Soldiers"
one sees on the news. They are all living breathing humanbeings with goals and
aspirations. I wonder how many times I have passed a man or woman in the store
that has served, seen and done things that I have no true concept of.

It also seems that there is a great void between those that served in the
"Good wars" and those that were or are "In a place that we don't belong". It
is the government that has made those choices as to where, when, and how,
not the Soldier. They just want to serve and get themselves and their
brothers and sisters back in one piece.

Nobody these days walks on water but they all have my thanks.

As for me, both my grandfathers served in WWII but left the family when my
parents were little so little is known about their experiences. The one part I
do know is my mother's father (IIRC) was on a boat that would intercept
torpedoes.

My father was drafted for Vietnam but was 4Y (I could be wrong), legally blind
in one eye and very flat feet, so he did not go anywhere.

And again, my many thanks to one and all. To those who served, welcome home.
To those still serving, come back safe, and to the families that support them, thank you all.