Ernest E. Evans' Last Stand Aboard Samuel B. Roberts at Samar

Jan 16 , 2026

Ernest E. Evans' Last Stand Aboard Samuel B. Roberts at Samar

Ernest E. Evans stood on the bridge of USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), eyes blazing with resolve. The ocean around him was chaos—Japanese battleships looming like gods of death. His ship was a destroyer escort, smaller and outgunned. But Evans? He refused to yield.

Born of Grit and Gravity

Ernest Edwin Evans came from two Missouri towns, Broken Bow and Wahoo, Nebraska. No silver spoons here, only calloused hands and stubborn faith. He was the son of a farming family, raised steeped in hard work and quiet conviction. His compass wasn’t just the stars—it was an unshakable code of honor, forged in church pews and fields alike.

“He was a man who believed a man’s word meant everything,” his shipmates would say later. That moral backbone carried him through Naval Academy at Annapolis and into the storm of warfare. He embodied discipline wrapped in empathy, knowing the lives under his command depended on both.

The Battle Off Samar — October 25, 1944

By late ’44, the Pacific War raged like hell on Earth. The Leyte invasion was set. But the Japanese struck back with a fearsome force—the Center Force, under Vice Admiral Kurita. It was a fleet of battleships, heavy cruisers, and destroyers—monsters compared to Evans' Samuel B. Roberts.

At dawn, Evans learned the enemy fleet had closed fast. His 1,200-ton destroyer escort faced off against battleships tipping the scales over ten times her size.

The reports say he screamed orders to battle stations and charged the enemy line. Smoke and fire clouded the horizon. Gun turrets roared. Amidst blasts, Evans maneuvered with relentless audacity, closing distance against impossible odds.

He forged a human wall, drawing enemy fire. His ship launched torpedoes that struck what was described as the Japanese heavy cruiser Chikuma, damaging her significantly. Reports say: the “tin can” that fought like a battleship.

“We’ll never give ’em an inch!” became the rallying cry for Roberts’ crew.

Evans' destroyer escort absorbed hits—three significant strikes, a furnace of fire and water rushing onboard. Still, Evans stayed at the bridge until the end, refusing to abandon his ship or crew.

When Samuel B. Roberts capsized and sank, Evans went down with her. His final act was sacrifice. A leader who chose death over retreat.

Honor Carved in Flames

Evans posthumously received the Medal of Honor for “extraordinary heroism and distinguished leadership” during the Battle off Samar[1].

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy Japanese forces…” — Citation, Medal of Honor.

Survivors spoke of a man who defied doom with grit and unyielding faith. Captain Sprague, commander of the task unit, called Evans' valor “the stuff of legend.” His desperate courage delayed the Japanese fleet, helping safeguard the invasion forces at Leyte Gulf.

Legacy Forged in Fire

Ernest E. Evans’ story teaches what raw courage truly means—not the absence of fear, but the choice to stand when it’s cheapest and easiest to run.

“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 left behind more than medals and battle reports. He forged a beacon for every soldier and sailor facing the void—lead with honor. Fight with heart. Die with purpose.

Today, the USS Evans (DD-754) carried his name into new wars. His sacrifice is ink on the American soul.

A warrior who stared death in the eye and didn’t blink. A vessel of God’s purpose amid destruction. Ernest E. Evans reminds us that the fiercest battles forge the strongest legacies—etched deep in scars and sovereign trust.

_The ultimate fight isn’t against our enemies. It’s the fight to rise—again and again—in service of something greater than ourselves._

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Citation for Ernest E. Evans 2. Morison, Samuel Eliot, History of United States Naval Operations in World War II: Leyte 3. Coffman, Edward M., Jr., The Battle off Samar: Hell in the Pacific