During the Second World War there was obviously a need for a domestic military presence at training camps, bases, shore defense and the like. Was this duty seen as lessor or cowardly? Would a man get looked down on for enlisting in the Coast Guard instead of the Navy? Would a Marine assigned to training at Parris Island through '44 be ridiculed by other Marines?
I'm not the right person to answer your main question, but I would like to clear up one misconception. The Coast Guard was not a just a rear area duty in WW2, and had become part of the Navy for the duration of the war, returning to the Treasury Dept in 1946.
Yes, they performed port security, beach patrols, search and rescue, and coastal defense. They also manned 350 navy ships, provided convoy escort, and most importantly they drove LCMs and LCVPs at the amphibious landings in Africa, Italy, Normandy, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and every other landing in the Pacific.
Douglas Albert Munro was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions at Guadalcanal, and Frank Devita made at least 10 trips to the beaches on D-Day as a ramp operator. People weren't looked down upon for joining the Coast Guard.