Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On September 27 1942 the Marines made the landing just west of Point Cruz. Munro would be leading the landing craft filled with Marines that were to land west of Point Cruz and attack the Japanese behind their lines. Once the Marines were ashore Munro and the other landing craft returned to Lunga Point.
After landing he Marines of Companies A, B and some of D suddenly found themselves under attack from Japanese troops and make their way up to Hill 84. The Marines were now being attacked from multiple directions by Japanese troops. They were in a desperate situation, taking a number of casualties and each minute that passed the Japanese closed in on their position. Munro and his group of landing craft were ordered to return to the west side of Point Cruz to withdraw the Marines. The fighting is intense as the Japanese close in on the Marines near the shoreline. Coast Guardsman Douglas Munro was manning a machine gun on the bow of his boat laying down covering fire for the withdrawing Marines. He ordered his boat to position itself between the Japanese troops advancing towards the beach and the Marines loading the landing craft for withdrawal. Using his boat as a shield for the Marines, Munro continued to fire on the Japanese troops. Munro’s was one of the last boats near the beach as he waited for every Marine to be loaded before withdrawing. While he continued laying down covering fire, a Japanese machine gun opened fire, Munro was struck in the head. His last words “Did they get off?”
President Roosevelt presented the Medal of Honor to Monro’s parents in a White House ceremony on May 24 1943.
On September 27 1942 the Marines made the landing just west of Point Cruz. Munro would be leading the landing craft filled with Marines that were to land west of Point Cruz and attack the Japanese behind their lines. Once the Marines were ashore Munro and the other landing craft returned to Lunga Point.
After landing he Marines of Companies A, B and some of D suddenly found themselves under attack from Japanese troops and make their way up to Hill 84. The Marines were now being attacked from multiple directions by Japanese troops. They were in a desperate situation, taking a number of casualties and each minute that passed the Japanese closed in on their position. Munro and his group of landing craft were ordered to return to the west side of Point Cruz to withdraw the Marines. The fighting is intense as the Japanese close in on the Marines near the shoreline. Coast Guardsman Douglas Munro was manning a machine gun on the bow of his boat laying down covering fire for the withdrawing Marines. He ordered his boat to position itself between the Japanese troops advancing towards the beach and the Marines loading the landing craft for withdrawal. Using his boat as a shield for the Marines, Munro continued to fire on the Japanese troops. Munro’s was one of the last boats near the beach as he waited for every Marine to be loaded before withdrawing. While he continued laying down covering fire, a Japanese machine gun opened fire, Munro was struck in the head. His last words “Did they get off?”
President Roosevelt presented the Medal of Honor to Monro’s parents in a White House ceremony on May 24 1943.
