Jan 07 , 2026

Ernest E. Evans and the Heroic Stand at the Battle off Samar

They were closing in fast—Japanese cruisers and battleships outweighed his destroyer a hundred-fold. The USS Evarts wasn't just outgunned; it was outmatched, outmanned, and out of hope. But Commander Ernest E. Evans didn’t flinch. He rammed his ship into the chaos like a man with nothing to lose but everything to save. They called it the Battle off Samar. He called it duty.

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Childhood & Code: The Making of a Warrior

Ernest Edwin Evans was born November 13, 1908, in Jackson, Missouri. The son of a railroad worker, Evans learned early the meaning of grit and grind. A Midwestern kid raised on rugged values, he carried a quiet, stubborn faith that molded his unyielding spirit. He enlisted in the Navy in 1926, not for glory, but because it was the right thing to do.

Evans didn’t wear religion on his sleeve, but his actions whispered of a deeper conviction. Reminders of Psalm 23 seemed fitting for him: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." It was a creed forged through hardship long before he faced the hellfire off Samar.

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The Battle That Defined Him

October 25, 1944. The Philippine Sea. Evans commanded the USS Duncan, a Fletcher-class destroyer, navigating into a nightmare that would become legend. Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3) faced Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita’s Center Force—a brutal Japanese armada with battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. Taffy 3’s escort carriers and destroyers were drastically outgunned.

Evans’ Duncan was just one ship, but he drove her like a freight train into hell. He engaged battleships with his 5-inch guns and torpedoes. He charged alone, firing until his ship smoked and burned. When the Duncan took a torpedo hit, Evans stayed on the bridge—bloodied and exhausted—directing the fight.

He ordered torpedo runs at the Japanese heavy cruisers Chikuma and Suzuya. His aggressive tactics confused and delayed the enemy, buying seconds that saved hundreds of lives.

His final moments were brutal. Evans was severely wounded and unconscious before the Duncan broke apart and sank. Yet, his fierce leadership forced Kurita’s fleet to withdraw. A dozen Japanese ships sank in the broader clash because Evans drew fire onto himself.

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Medal of Honor: Valor in the Face of Death

Ernest Evans posthumously received the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest tribute to valor. His citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... by his skillful fighting and fearless leadership, Commander Evans turned certain defeat into stunning victory...”¹

His comrades remembered him as fiercely determined, single-minded. Admiral Clifton Sprague, who led Taffy 3, called Evans:

"The bravest man I ever knew."²

That was no empty praise. Evans’ sacrifice, and the stand of the Duncan, helped shape the course of the Pacific War.

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Legacy: Redemption Through Sacrifice

Ernest Evans left behind more than a sunken ship. He carved a legacy of courage that speaks across generations. His story is a testament that valor often arrives in the smallest packages—one destroyer against a fleet, one man against despair.

In dark hours, Evans chose to stand, not retreat. His scars—though invisible now—are etched in the soul of every vet who has faced the storm.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Today, the USS Evans (DD-781) carries his name—a floating reminder that freedom is bought with blood and steel. His battle is our inheritance.

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We remember Ernest E. Evans because he showed us what it means to fight when there is no hope left—because sometimes, the greatest victories rise from the ashes of sacrifice. He wasn’t just a hero. He was a man who bore the weight of war’s darkest hour—and refused to let the world fall.

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Sources

1. U.S. Navy, Medal of Honor Citation, Ernest E. Evans 2. Naval History and Heritage Command, The Battle off Samar, Taffy 3

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