|
|
||
|
||
|
|
Point Cruz Point Cruz today is home to the Point Cruz Yacht club, Maritime Police, the Mendana Hotel and the Harbour. On the 27 September 1942, Marines from the 7th Marines / 1st Battalion companies A, B and D under Major Otho Rogers, landed from nine landing craft just west of Point Cruz at 13:00. Rogers' Marines pushed inland and occupied a ridge, called Hill 84, about 600 yards (550 m) from the landing area. Japanese Colonel Oka, recognizing the seriousness of this landing, ordered his forces to close on Rogers' Marines from both the west and east. Completely surrounded the Americans, aided by fire from the USS Monssen, evacuated to PT Cruz. At 16:30, Japanese troops put heavy fire on the Marines at the beach in effort to keep them from successfully evacuating, and the U.S. Coast Guard crews manning the U.S. landing craft responded with their own heavy fire to cover the Marines' withdrawal. Under fire, the Marines boarded the landing craft and successfully returned to the Lunga perimeter Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro received the Navy Medal of Honor (the U.S. military's highest decoration) and Purple Heart posthumously for his actions as officer-in charge of the group of landing craft. He is the only member of the Coast Guard to ever receive this award. His citation reads:
For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty as Officer-in-Charge of a group of Higgins boats, engaged in the evacuation of a Battalion of Marines trapped by enemy Japanese forces at Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, on September 27, 1942. After making preliminary plans for the evacuation of nearly 500 beleaguered Marines, Munro, under constant risk of his life, daringly led five 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 two small guns as a shield between the beachhead and the Japanese. When the perilous task of evacuation was nearly completed, Munro was killed by enemy fire, but his crew, two 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 up his life in defense of his country. |
 |
||
|
|
DOUGLAS ALBERT MUNRO, SIGNALMAN FIRST CLASS, U.S. COAST GUARD