Douglas Munro DE-422

Douglas A. Munro

Douglas Albert Munro born 11 October 1919 in Vancouver, Canada, enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard 18 September 1939. Signalman First Class Munro was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry during the daring evacuation of the beleaguered Marines from Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, leading the boats to the beach and then placing his craft as a shield between the beachhead and Japanese fire which took his life 27 September 1942 just before the evacuation was completed.

(DE-422: dp. 1,350; 1. 306'; b. 36'8"; dr. 9'5"; s. 24 k.;
cpl. 186; a. 2 5", 3 21" tt.; 8 dcp., 1 dcp.(hh.), 2 dct.; cl.
John C. Butler)

Douglas A. Munro (DE-422) was launched 8 March 1944 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex.; sponsored by Lieutenant (junior grade) E. Munro, USCGR mother of Signalman Munro; and commissioned 11 July 1944, t~ieutenant Commander G. Morris in command.

From 20 September to 19 October 1944 Douglas A. Munro served as escort for Vixen (PG-53) carrying Admiral R. E. Ingersoll, Commander in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet on a tour of Caribbean defenses. She voyaged to Casablanca as escort for Kasaan Bay (CVE-69) between 24 October and 14 November, then left Norfolk 7 December for the Pacific. After exercising at Manus, she sailed to Biak, Schouten Islands, to pick up a convoy of LSTs and merchant ships bound for Lingayen Gulf, arriving there 9 February. Douglas A. Munro returned to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, and on the 20th sailed to escort a convoy of Army tugs to Subic Bay. Upon her arrival a week later she was assigned to screen a minesweeping unit clearing the San Bernardino Strait and the approaches to Manila Bay, and also supported naval and amphibious operations on nearby shores. She operated at Subic Bay until 6 May.

Douglas A. Munro served in the assault and occupation of Borneo from 19 May to 5 July 1945 She escorted supply convoys from Leyte, bombarded enemy positions, and served as antisubmarine patrol vessel. She escorted transports from Ulithi to the Philippines from 19 to 26 July, then patrolled against submarines between Leyte and Okinawa until the end of the war.

Douglas A. Munro cleared Leyte 6 September to join the South China Force, arriving in the approaches to the Yangtze River on the 19th. She served with this force until 5 January 1946 when she got underway from Hong Kong for the west coast, arriving at San Francisco 1 February. Moving to San Diego 30 March, she was placed out of commission in reserve there 15 January 1947.

Recommissioned 28 February 1951, Douglas A. Munro sailed from San Diego 8 July for Pearl Harbor, and during the passage rescued a civilian who had been washed overboard during the Transpacific Yacht Race. After training until 29 October, she sailed for Korean waters to serve with the U.N. Blockading and Escort Force, participating in the seige and bombardment of Wonsan Harbor. She was also active in rescue work. While on patrol in the Formosa Straits on 25 January 1952 she aided the Chinese Nationalist dredger Chien Woug, and on 12 February she assisted the British merchant vessel SS Wing Sang who had been attacked by Communist pirates. Douglas A. Munro also rescued two crew members of a crashed torpedo bomber and picked up two Marine colonels whose helicopter had crashed on an island in the Han River estuary. She returned to Pearl Harbor 24 May 1952 for overhaul and training.

During her second tour of duty in the Korean war, from 9 May to 11 December 1953, Douglas A. Munro served with TF 95 on escort and patrol duty. During this deployment she rescued the crew of a downed patrol plane. She put out from Pearl Harbor again 1 July 1954 to patrol in the Marianas and Carolines, United Nations Trust Territories under American administration, and visited more than 100 islands in the South Pacific before returning to Pearl Harbor 31 January 1955.

Sailing from Pearl Harbor 22 October 1955 Douglas A. Munro served in the western Pacific until 14 January 1956 when she returned to patrol the Trust Territories. On the 27th while conducting a surveillance of the Bonins, she discovered a Japanese fishing vessel violating the 3-mile limit and placed a prize crew aboard Harakawa Maru to take her to the Commissioner for the Trust Territories. Douglas A. Munro completed her tour at Pearl Harbor 24 March 1956.

In her annual deployments from 1956 to 1959 Douglas A. Munro served both on the Taiwan Patrol, and in surveillance of the Trust Territories. Her last cruise, from August 1959 through March 1960, was devoted solely to patrol of the Pacific islands under American administration. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Mare Island 24 June 1960.

Douglas A. Munro received three battle stars for Korean war service.