Today in World War II History—September 27, 1942

Painting of US Coast Guard personnel evacuating U.S. Marines from near Point Cruz on Guadalcanal under fire during the Second Battle of the Matanikau on Sept. 27, 1942 (public domain via US Coast Guard)
80 Years Ago—Sept. 27, 1942: During the withdrawal from Matanikau on Guadalcanal, Signalman 1C Douglas Munro uses his Higgins Boat to shield Marines at the cost of his life; Munro is the only US Coast Guardsman to receive the Medal of Honor ever.
US Liberty ship Stephen Hopkins sinks German auxiliary cruiser Stier off South Africa, but Stephen Hopkins sinks too; 15 US survivors make a 31-day lifeboat trip to Brazil; the only US ship to sink a German surface warship in WWII.
Glenn Miller and his orchestra perform together for the last time before Miller enters the US Army Air Force, at Central Theater, Passaic, NJ.

Glenn Miller, Billboard Magazine, 16 May 1942 (public domain via Wikipedia)