United States Coastguard in World War II

Originally published in 1957, this intimate view of the Coast Guard's dramatic World War II record has long been considered a classic. Out of print for years, it is once again being made available to the American public as part of the bicentennial celebration. It is a story replete with incidents of devotion far beyond the call of duty, thrilling rescues, adventurous high sea missions, and heroic combat action that shows Coast Guardsmen in every phase of the maritime war. The author, a World War I veteran and a member of the Coast Guard Reserve in World War II, follows the progress of the war at sea from the Coast Guard's first involvement in 1941, telling how the service successfully met its vast responsibilities in all theatres of war. Malcolm Willoughby vividly recounts the Coast Guardsmen's participation in every major amphibious assault, from the Normandy invasion, where they landed thousands of men and rescued 1500 stranded in the surf, to Guadalcanal, where they rescued three companies of Marines trapped on the beach, and dramatically describes countless other operations at home and abroad in all types of ships and aircraft.In addition, he provides a list of all Coast Guard officers and men who received decorations and awards, from the Medal of Honor to the Commandant's Letters of Commendation. The book's large format allow readers to fully appreciate its numerous photographs, many of which are new to this edition. Malcolm Willoughby now deceased, was an investment counsellor in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he joined the Coast Guard Reserve in 1942 as a lieutenant and served as skipper of a patrol boat in Boston Harbour. In 1945 he was appointed historical officer for the First Naval District and later wrote Coast Guard institutional histories at a national level.