Updated at 7:12 a.m., Thursday, January 17, 2008
Punchbowl Coast Guard memorial to be dedicated Friday
Advertiser Staff
HONOLULU — The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Adm. Thad Allen, will visit Honolulu today and tomorrow to help dedicate a memorial to Coast Guard veterans at the National Cemetery of the Pacific.The Punchbowl cemetery has long featured memorials for veterans of the other military branches, but a dedication ceremony will be held Friday to unveil a memorial for Coast Guard veterans who fought on the battlefields of World War II. A stone from Guadalcanal will be the centerpiece of the memorial.
The Coast Guard's first participation in World War II was at Guadalcanal, where the service landed Marines in August 1942, the beginning of a six-month campaign.
Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro, the Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor recipient, died there rescuing a group of Marines.
Retired Coast Guard Cmdr. Douglas Sheehan, Munro's nephew, is scheduled to attend.
The Punchbowl memorial dedication is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
