Douglas Albert Munro (October 11, 1919 – September 27, 1942) served in the United States Coast Guard in World War II, and was the Coast Guard's only recipient during the war of the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the medal posthumously after leading the evacuation of American marines whose positions had been overrun during the Second Battle of the Matanikau. He was shot while piloting a Higgins boat to shield a landing craft filled with marines from Japanese fire. Numerous warships, buildings, and monuments have been dedicated to him, and he is the only non-marine to be enshrined on the Wall of Heroes of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. He is annually memorialized in ceremonies held in his hometown of Cle Elum, Washington, and at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. Munro was the nephew of Francis Fairey, a commanding officer of the Irish Fusiliers of Canada and a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Albert_Munro
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
American Revolutionary War: A British fleet defeated American ships at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, but gave American forces enough time to prepare their defenses for the Saratoga campaign. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Valcour_Island
1840:
Bashir Shihab II (portrait pictured) surrendered to the Ottoman Empire and was removed as Emir of Mount Lebanon after an imperial decree by Sultan Abdülmecid I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashir_Shihab_II
1937:
Edward, Duke of Windsor, and Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, arrived at Friedrichstraße station in Berlin to begin their tour of Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_and_Duchess_of_Windsor%27s_1937_tour_of_Germany
1987:
An estimated 750,000 people attended the "Great March" in Washington, D.C., to demand greater civil rights for the LGBT community. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_National_March_on_Washington_for_Lesbian_and_Gay_Rights
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
oology: 1. (ornithology) The study of birds' eggs. 2. The hobby or practice of collecting birds' eggs, especially those of wild birds. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/oology
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
I cannot remember a time when the question on so many people's lips was "How can we prevent war?" There is a widespread understanding among the people of this nation, and probably among the people of the world, that there is no safety except through the prevention of war. --Eleanor Roosevelt https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt