Ernest E. Evans and USS Samuel B. Roberts' Sacrifice at Samar

Jan 24 , 2026

Ernest E. Evans and USS Samuel B. Roberts' Sacrifice at Samar

Ernest E. Evans stood on the bridge of USS Samuel B. Roberts—a 1,200-ton destroyer escort against a fleet heavy with Japanese battleships, carriers, and cruisers. The horizon broke in fire and smoke. His ship was the smallest spearhead in a storm of steel and wrath. He gripped the wheel. The duty was clear: fight with every ounce of fierce defiance, bleed every drop of resolve, even in the face of annihilation.

From Iowa Farmboy to Warrior at Heart

Born in Pawnee City, Nebraska, 1908, Evans grew up in the hard soils of the American Midwest. Faith ran deep in his veins. A lifetime marked by simple values—honor, duty, family. His grandmother, a devout Christian, instilled in him a scripture that would guide his final stand:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

He joined the Navy in 1928, a silent promise to protect the nation built on sacrifice and grit. By 1944, he embodied the warrior-leader: calm under fire, calculating, unshakable in battle. His men trusted him with their lives—because he never backed down.

The Battle That Defined Him: Samar’s Bloody Dawn

October 25, 1944. The Battle off Samar—part of the larger Leyte Gulf engagement—would etch Evans’ name into legend. His escort carrier group, Taffy 3, staffed with lightly armed ships, suddenly faced a Japanese Center Force. The enemy: four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and eleven destroyers. Overwhelming. Suicidal odds.

Evans took command of Samuel B. Roberts, the “Mighty Littlest Ship.” He gave the order: attack. Not retreat. Attack. His destroyer escort charged headlong into the Japanese fleet, guns blazing, torpedoes flying. The enemy’s guns tore into his ship—superstructure shredded, decks awash with fire and blood. But Evans stayed with it.

He screamed for smoke screens to shield the carriers. He maneuvered between shells and death, drawing enemy fire away from the vulnerable ships. His 5-inch guns pummeled cruisers, landing hits that slowed the juggernaut. The Samuel B. Roberts took crippling damage, but Evans held position until the end.

Then, he died as he fought—on the bridge, mortally wounded, refusing to order abandon ship. His ship sank near Samar's coast, but his sacrifice bought time that saved hundreds of lives.

Honors Earned in Fire and Blood

For his unparalleled valor, Ernest E. Evans received the Medal of Honor. The citation spoke of “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” He was the only U.S. Navy captain to receive the Medal of Honor for this battle.

His ship's captain in the escort carrier Gambier Bay, Captain Walter Harold Hill, reflected later:

“Evans’ courage gave us the opening to survive, to fight another day. His was the brutality of command met with the mercy of heart.”

The Navy named a destroyer, USS Ernest E. Evans, in his honor—a floating testament to unyielding resistance in daylight and dark.

Legacy of Courage, Redemption in Sacrifice

Evans showed what battlefield courage truly means—charging into hell with no promise of survival, driven by duty and faith. His scars are on history’s page, but his story transcends war. It speaks of the cost of leadership: holding men to a standard higher than fear, higher than despair.

To veterans, his stand whispers that every fought step matters. Even in defeat, valor saves lives. In sacrifice, stories rise.

To those who’ve never met combat’s cruel face, Evans’ life is a beacon—the profound call to stand, not for glory, but for the man beside you and the world behind you.

In this, there is redemption—the kind found only on the edge of loss, where a man’s soul is tested and refined.

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

Ernest E. Evans laid down his life at Samar. And in that laying down, he lifted us all.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) Action Report 2. US Navy, Medal of Honor Citation – Ernest E. Evans 3. Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II: Leyte 4. Hornfischer, James D. The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors