I FEEL THAT WE HAD SOME REAL HEROES WHO DID SOME HEROIC THINGS IN SERVICE TO THE NATION ON BOARD MUNRO TODAY.
I THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE THAT THEY RECOGNIZED DOUGLAS MUNRO. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY TOUCHING AND EMOTIONAL AND JUST A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE BEEN ABOARD TODAY
TO WATCH THE THREE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS PUT A REAL MEDAL OF HONOR AROUND THE BUST OF DOUGLAS MUNRO.
WHEN I WEAR IT, I WEAR IT IN HONOR OF YOURSELF, ALL THE COAST GUARDSMEN, THE MARINES, THE AIR FORCE, THE ARMY, ETC ETC. IT'S YOURS.
I'M JUST ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT WEARS IT AND I AM HONORED TO BE A RECIPIENT.
TO HAVE THEM ON BOARD, I MEAN IT STIRS, IT STIRS SOMETHING IN YOU. PART OF MY COMMAND PHILOSOPHY TALKS ABOUT PROFESSIONALISM.
AND YOU KNOW I ASK EVERYBODY TO BE THE BEST COAST GUARDSMEN THAT YOU CAN BE. WHETHER YOU ARE HERE ON THE CUTTER FOR JUST A WEEK,
OR THE CUTTER FOR THE REST OF YOUR CAREER, DO IT THE BEST YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT ALASKA RANGER,
THE NEXT SELENDANG AYU, ITS GOING TO BE THE NEXT GUADALCANAL, YOU ARE GOING TO BE ASKED TO STEP UP AND DO YOUR JOB,
AND TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THAT AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN REGARDS TO OUR NAMESAKE, THAT'S A PRETTY TOUGH CALLING.
WHEN YOU GAZE UPON THAT LIKENESS OF SIGNALMAN DOUGLAS MUNRO AND THEN SEE THE SYMBOL OF HONOR, COURAGE AND SACRIFICE AROUND HIS NECK,
I KNOW WHEN YOU GO OUT TO DO YOUR DEEDS YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE UP TO THE STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET BEFORE YOU.
AND BY DOING THAT YOU SET THE STANDARDS FOR THOSE THAT FOLLOW. AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THIS GREAT NATION OF OURS.
...VESSEL IN ITS ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE AREA BEYOND THE MATANIKAU RIVER. DISRUPTED A PLANNED JAPANESE ASSAULT OF U.S. FORCES UNTIL OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR,
AND SAVED THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF MARINES THAT WERE IN DANGER OF BEING OVERRUN.
DOUGLAS MUNRO'S MISSION WAS TO EVACUATE A GROUP OF MARINES WHO HAD BEEN SURROUNDED AND UNDER INTENSE FIRE FROM A JAPANESE FORCE.
