The Guadalcanal campaign, alternatively known as the Battle of Guadalcanal, ranks among the most renowned conflicts in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. The six-month-long engagement marked the initial significant ground offensive between the Imperial Japanese and the Allied Forces.
The campaign was characterized by numerous acts of heroism and valor. Among those who placed their comrades’ welfare above their own were US Coast Guardsmen Douglas Munro and Raymond Evans. Collaborating effectively, they were instrumental in ensuring the safety of those under the command of Chesty Puller.
Douglas Munro and Raymond Evans both grew up in Washington
Douglas Munro was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1919, and grew up in the Washington state town of South Cle Elum. He was a member of his high school’s wrestling team, and also played the trumpet, harmonica and the drums. While he initially attended the Central Washington College of Education, he dropped out in 1939 to join the war effort, choosing the US Coast Guard because he felt it would offer him the best opportunity to save others.
Raymond Evans was born in Bellingham, Washington in 1921 and was primarily raised in Seattle. He had difficulty finding work after graduating from high school and, frustrated by his prospects, decided the best path forward would be to enlist in the Coast Guard.
The “Gold Dust Twins”
Evans and Munro met each other while they were in Seattle for entrance processing. They later underwent training together at Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles. The pair quickly became the best of friends and were nicknamed the “Gold Dust Twins” by their fellow Guardsmen. The name was a reference to the popular cleaning product, Gold Dust Washing Powder, the packaging for which featured a pair of twins.
Munro became a standout Guardsman and was frequently given high marks during training, and Evans later noted that his friend planned on making a career out of serving in the Coast Guard. In 1941, months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US transferred the service from the Department of Treasury to the Department of the Navy.
Douglas Munro lost his life at Guadalcanal
In 1941, Munro and Evans volunteered to serve on the attack transport USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14). By the next year, the ship was in the Pacific to support the Guadalcanal campaign.
On September 27, 1942, the legendary Chesty Puller tasked the pair with ferrying US Marines to points from which they could attack Japanese positions along the Matanikau River. The then-lieutenant colonel had wanted to attempt an amphibious assault that would allow his Marines to get onto the beachhead behind the river.
While the initial landings went well, the Marines were soon ambushed, resulting in mass casualties. Coast Guardsmen were sent to pull out the injured, and Evans and Munro volunteered to stay back and use suppressive fire to allow the Marines to evacuate.
While the evacuation, for the most part, went well, one boat got stuck. Munro and Evans towed the vessel from the beach, but were spotted by a Japanese machine gunner, who opened fire. Munro was shot in the head and later died of his injuries. For his actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Raymond Evans’ later service with the US Coast Guard
Raymond Evans served alongside Douglas Munro during their mission on the Matanikau River and was by his side when his comrade met his end. According to Evans, Munro’s final words were a poignant inquiry, “Did they get off?” A smile graced his best friend’s face upon learning of the mission’s success.
In recognition of his gallant service, Raymond Evans was honored with the Navy Cross. However, during the ceremony, there was no physical medal available to present to him. Vice Adm. Joseph Stika, in a gesture of deep respect, unfastened his own Navy Cross, which he had received in 1918, and affixed it to Evans’ chest.
Evans continued his dedicated service in the Coast Guard until 1962. Throughout his career, he held positions as the commander of the USCGC Ivy (WAGL-329) and the executive officer of the USCGC Chautauqua (WPG/WHEC-41). Upon retiring from active duty, he’d attained the rank of commander. He passed away on May 30, 2013, at the age of 92.
The legacy of the Gold Dust Twins
Both men are well remembered by the US Coast Guard. An award named for Raymond Evans is given each year to an outstanding coxswain, and the USCGC Raymond Evans, a Sentinel-class cutter, was received by the service in June 2014.
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To this day, Douglas Munro remains the only Guardsman to be given the Medal of Honor. Three warships – a destroyer escort and two cutters – have been named in his honor, as have three Coast Guard facilities. He is also the only non-Marine to be featured on the Corps’ Wall of Heroes at the National Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia.
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