3 Sept 2024 Garand Picture of the Day

[Sapper740]

Jim-- Probably right. naval personnel or a coast guardmen.

^^^^this^^^^ Coasties manned many of the ships and landing craft that unloaded soldiers in Normandy and on just about every island in the South pacific. One Coastie, Coast Guard Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after he steered his LCVP between the evacuating Marines they had just deposited on Guadalcanal and the Japanese. By interposing his craft between the men on the beach and the enemy, Munro allowed the landing craft to safely evacuate all the Marines, including the wounded. Unfortunately, as Munro steered his craft away from the beach Japanese gunfire struck Munro and killed him instantly.