Ernest E. Evans' Heroism and Medal of Honor at the Battle of Samar

Dec 23 , 2025

Ernest E. Evans' Heroism and Medal of Honor at the Battle of Samar

Ernest E. Evans stood at the bridge of the USS Samuel B. Roberts as dawn broke over the Philippine Sea. Enemy battleships loomed on the horizon, monstrous and merciless. Outgunned. Outmatched. But surrender wasn’t in his blood.

He faced death with a defiant roar.

Blood and Steel: Foundations of a Warrior

Born in 1908 in Bloomington, Illinois, Ernest Edwin Evans embodied Midwestern grit. Before war pulled him from civilian life, he was a Naval officer steeped in duty and unshakeable resolve.

Faith whispered quietly in his bones, a firm anchor in the chaos he would soon face. His life mirrored Proverbs 21:31—“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

His code was ironclad: lead from the front. Protect your men. Fight with every breath. No retreat. No surrender.

The Navy commissioned him after years of rigorous training. He climbed the ranks not by luck but through steel discipline—an officer made for a storm far worse than any drill or classroom lesson.

The Battle That Defined Him: Samar, October 25, 1944

The morning of October 25, 1944, blew in ferocious and deadly. The small escort carrier task unit Taffy 3, under Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague, faced the Japanese Center Force under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita—battleships, cruisers, destroyers. The Samuel B. Roberts, a 1,370-ton John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, was the smallest, least armed ship in the line.

Evans, commanding this fragile ship, was the David standing before Goliath.

At 06:45, the enemy force emerged through thick morning fog, guns blazing. Kurita’s fleet sought to annihilate the vulnerable American carriers. The Roberts was ordered to engage. Evans didn’t hesitate.

He drove his ship straight at the Japanese battleships and cruisers, closing the gap with reckless courage. “If you’re going to die, die fighting,” he seemed to roar with his every maneuver.

With a furious, relentless assault, the Roberts launched torpedoes and opened fire with her 5-inch guns. Four torpedo hits crippled the mighty Kongo and Haruna. The enemy’s formation staggered. Their focus wavered.

Evans took a bullet to the chest during this hellish ballet but refused to leave the bridge. His ship took multiple hits, but he kept fighting. His leadership kept the crew’s spirit unbroken. His ship faced impossible odds—if Samuel B. Roberts fell, the entire Taffy 3 could be slaughtered.

The Roberts ultimately exploded and sank after 90 minutes of brutal combat. Evans went down with her—his last order a testament to warrior spirit: “They are turning away. Let’s get after them.”

Recognition Born in Fire

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, Evans’s citation reads as raw as the blood spilled:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer… against desperately superior Japanese forces.”

Admiral Sprague credited Evans’s bold action with buying vital time for the carriers and turning the tide. The Samuel B. Roberts became “the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship.”

His sacrifice inspired a generation of sailors and soldiers, reminding them that courage can knock down giants.

Legacy Etched in Steel and Spirit

Ernest E. Evans’s story is carved into every American warship’s hull—especially the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58), commissioned in his honor decades later.

His fight at Samar seals a lesson that echoes through combat zones still: valor is not measured by size or firepower but by heart and conviction.

He showed that faith in comrades, mission, and a higher calling can sustain a warrior beyond fear and pain.

“He died not just for victory, but for every brother in arms who still dared to stand when all seemed lost.”

The scars left by Evans are not just on the ocean floor. They pulse in the soul of every combat veteran who knows the weight of impossible odds. His story says this plain and clear: No matter how fierce the storm, stand unyielding. Your sacrifice shapes the dawn.

“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

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command - “Ernest E. Evans, Medal of Honor Recipient” 2. Morison, Samuel Eliot - History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume XIII: The Liberation of the Philippines 3. US Navy - USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) Official Narrative 4. Cates Jr., Clifton B. - Official After-Action Report, Battle off Samar, October 25, 1944