until 0400 est. Hes our Medal of Honor recipient, our only one. During my time aboard I have witnessed the sacrifices of the crew as they spent time away from their loved ones in service to their country. Riley Gatewood, commanding officer of the Douglas Munro. Petty Officer 3rd Class Elizabeth Covington sings the national anthem for the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro decommissioning ceremony in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 24, 2021. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo. In 1998, Douglas Munros crew discovered and seized over 11.5 tons of cocaine from a Mexican flagged vessel, the Xolesuientle, in what remains to this day one of the largest single drug seizures in Coast Guard history. For these actions Munro was posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor. There, the ship will have its classified technology and weapons systems removed. KODIAK, Alaska The Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) was decommissioned during a ceremony Saturday at Coast Guard Base Kodiak and presided over by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.The Douglas Munro was the Coast Guards last remaining 378-foot Hamilton-class high endurance cutter. The Douglas Munro was home ported in Kodiak in 2007, and has patrolled Alaskas waters ever since. The USCGC Munro was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. Douglas Munro was decommissioned on April 24, 2021 and was transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy on October 26, 2021 under pennant number P 627. Missile defense is handled by the MK 36 launchers and the Phalanx CIWS. February 15th, DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled, Version: 1b422e4d5e2e103541b547099c1adc8516e63758_2023-04-11T15:43:39. Riley Gatewood, hold a pennant during the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) decommissioning ceremony in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 24, 2021. The ship and its crew had also participated in the largest cold-water rescue mission in the Coast Guards history, Gatewood said. The Hamilton-class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the United States Coast Guard until replaced by the Legend-class cutter, aside from the Polar-class icebreaker. The USCGC Munro was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. The fleet of high endurance cutters is being replaced by 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters, which serve as the Coast Guards primary long-range asset.Commissioned in 1971, Douglas Munro was the tenth of twelve high endurance cutters built for long-range, high-endurance missions, including maritime security roles, drug interdiction, illegal migrant interception and fisheries patrols.The cutter was named after Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of extraordinary heroism during World War II.Munro was the officer-in-charge of an eight-craft amphibious landing force during the Guadalcanal Campaign and used his landing craft and its .30 caliber machine gun to shield and protect several hundred Marines who were under heavy enemy fire. Renamed 1 April 2017 - In Commission (Special) 31 March 2021. That fateful night is just one of the cutters hundreds of critical missions powered by Fairbanks Morse engines. USCGC Munro, decommissioned on April 24, 2021, end-ing over 54 years of service of Hamilton-class cutters to the United States; 3 KAT21722 3NJ S.L.C. And what better ship than Douglas Munro given its story name and history and namesake, to end that legacy with, Schultz said. US Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro Scheduled to be Decommissioned, Damen Naval Completes Midlife Update of Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Johan de Witt, Australian Defence Force Confirms Undersea Support Vessel Procurement, Royal Thai Navy Amphibious Transport Dock HTMS Chang to Arrive in Thailand on April 27, Naval Group Launches First Belgian-Dutch Mine Countermeasure Vessel, Saab Completes Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of MK 9 Tracker Illuminator System, India Navy Test-fires Extended-Range Anti-Submarine Rocket (ER-ASR), Philippines Navy Receives Two Cyclone-class Patrol Ships from US Navy, Turkish Navy Commissions TCG Anadolu Drone-Carrying Landing Platform Dock, HII Wins $567.6 Million US Navy Contract for Columbia-Class Ballistic Missile Submarines, Textron to Deliver First T-54A Multi-Engine Training System (METS) Aircraft to US Navy. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Janessa Warschkow. Signed by the Captain. The story starts with a group of teens in the mid-90s. Munro was in charge of an eight-craft amphibious landing force during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Over the past 49-years of distinguished service, Douglas Munros crews have served in a multitude of domestic and international theaters including the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia and the Eastern Pacific. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The cutters namesake is Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of extraordinary heroism during World War II. Coast Guard photo taken by USCGC Munro. 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 cutters namesake Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro the Coast Guards only Medal of Honor recipient. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Janessa Warschkow. The . Munros nephew, retired Cmdr. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl L. Schultz, Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, and Capt. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Elizabeth Covington sings the national anthem for the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC724) decommission ceremony in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 24, 2021. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The following year, Douglas Munros crew seized the motor vessel Wing Fung Lung, which was attempting to illegally transport 259 Chinese migrants to the United States. The Douglas Munro was the Coast Guard's last remaining 378-foot Hamilton-class high endurance cutter. Douglas Munro is the last of the 378-foot high endurance class cutters, that served the Coast Guard by conducting national and international missions for 49-years. The cutter was named after Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of extraordinary heroism during World War II. Three years after that, the cutter and its crew participated in the largest cold-water rescue in the Coast Guards history, Gatewood said. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. It was named Munro until the Coast Guard's new Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Munro was built. Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes. The first ship in the 12 Hamilton Class Cutter was commissioned in March 1967; her keel was laid in February 1970, and she was commissioned on 27th September 1971. That fleet is now being replaced by 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters, to serve as the Coast Guard's primary long-range asset. read more, Courtesy Photo | The Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) is pictured during it's last Bering Sea patrol, in which the crew conducted boarding evolutions of the fishing fleet and were available to respond to search and rescue cases in March 2021. Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. As the high-endurance cutters were decommissioned, they were transferred to foreign navies or coast guards. The 17th Coast Guard District commander at the time of the rescue, Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, declared it one of the greatest search-and-rescue efforts in modern history.. We are honored to have powered this cutter class for more than 56 years of exceptional performance. Douglas Munro was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. Fish Factor: Study would measure threat to salmon from road runoff, CPD dispatch report April 3, 2023 through April 9, 2023, The Cordova Times seeks skilled news freelancer, Trident seafoods Kodiak Enterprise catches fire at Tacoma port. The cutters proud legacy of honorable service to the nation began in the early 1970s patrolling Ocean Stations Delta, Bravo and November, providing weather data to trans-Pacific flights, supporting oceanographic research missions and performing search-and-rescue operations. The 17th Coast Guard District commander at the time of the rescue, Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, declared it "One of the greatest search and rescue efforts in modern history., Serving as the final crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro, the last 378-foot cutter in the Coast Guard has been an exciting and rewarding experience for myself and my shipmates, said Capt. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences|Unsubscribe|Help. The Douglas Munro was decommissioned during a ceremony following 49-years of service to our nation. When the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro was commissioned in 1971, the world was a very different place. Douglas Sheehan in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 24, 2021. Breaking Military News And Defense Technology. It is expected to be disposed of by transfer to a foreign navy, in keeping with the disposition of the rest of the class. The Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) is pictured during it's last Bering Over the course of her 49 years, Munro always lived up to her motto of Honoring the Past by Serving the Present. In March 2008, off her final homeport of Kodiak, Alaska, the USCGC Munro entered maritime history when she led the search and rescue efforts for the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger, whose crew members were forced to abandon ship in the frigid and stormy Bering Sea. The cutter was named after Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of extraordinary heroism during World War II. 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.Today we say thank you and goodbye to the end of an eraan era of nearly 50 years when high endurance cutters took our services racing stripe around the globe, modeling the maritime rules-based order, said Schultz during the ceremony. The public is welcome to attend. Privacy Policy. - April 27, 2021. Vessel which served for 49 years was last of its class. During his most recent assignment, LT Kelley served as the Operations Officer aboard USCGC DOUGLAS MUNRO (WHEC 724). U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Matt Masaschi. He was mortally wounded during this effort, but his actions allowed for the Marines to be extracted by other landing craft. In this photo from 2008, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro seizes a Chinese fishing vessel suspected of illegal large-scale high-seas drift net fishing 460 miles east of Hokkaido, Japan. The hull classification symbol is prefixed WHEC. USCGC Douglas Munro (WHEC-724) Kodiak, AK-Decommissioning crew and member of Fire Control Division as a Mk-92 fire control technician. The missions can be very demanding, and the key to our success is the high caliber of the men and women assigned to MUNRO. Today we say thank you and goodbye to cutter Douglas Munrothe first cutter to be named after Coast Guard heroSignalman First Class Douglas Munro.Over the past 49-years of distinguished service, Douglas Munros crews have served in a multitude of domestic and international theaters including the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia and the Eastern Pacific. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Munro was a signalman awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during World War II. Riley Gatewood, hold a pennant during the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro (WHEC 724) decommissioning ceremony in Kodiak, Alaska, on April 24, 2021. In 1998, the crew of the Douglas Munro seized 11 1/2tons of cocaine from a Mexican-flagged vessel, one of the largest single drug seizures in the Coast Guards history. Riley Gatewood, commanding officer of the Douglas Munro. Ship drivers and aviators work hand and hand here in Alaska.. Fairbanks Morse (FM) provided the new ship's two opposed-piston (OP) engines, which were essential to executing the cutter's long-range, high-endurance missions of search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and homeland defense. Officer of the Douglas Munro very different place Linda Fagan, and Capt Phalanx CIWS Gatewood... Landing craft actions Munro was posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor by Fairbanks Morse engines and! 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