JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard is scheduled to decommission Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724), the Coast Guard’s last 378-foot Hamilton class cutter, following 49 years of service, during a ceremony Saturday at 11 a.m. on Coast Guard Base Kodiak.  

WHO: Adm. Karl Schultz, the commandant of the Coast Guard; Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area; and Capt. Riley Gatewood, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro.

WHAT: A ceremony to honor the legacy of the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro, the many Coast Guard men and women who served as part of its crew during its 49 years of service, and the cutter’s namesake Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro – the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient.

WHEN: Media must RSVP no later than 10 a.m., April 21, by calling (907) 487-5700, or emailing: D17-DG-PublicAffairs@uscg.mil.   

WHERE: Coast Guard Base Kodiak. Due to COVID mitigation precautions, in-person attendance is limited. Anyone interested in viewing the ceremony can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/uscgpacificarea/. 

The cutter’s namesake is Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of extraordinary heroism during World War II. Munro was in charge of an eight-craft amphibious landing force during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Munro bravely used his landing craft and its .30 caliber machine gun to shield and protect several hundred Marines who were under heavy enemy fire. He was mortally wounded during this effort, but his actions allowed for the Marines to be extracted by other landing craft. For these actions Munro was posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor, making him the only person to receive the medal for actions performed during service in the Coast Guard.

For more information about the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro please click here.

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