Commander Ernest E. Evans, A Sailor's Story
Commander Ernest E. Evans, A Sailor's Story
Commander Ernest Edwin Evans was born on August 13, 1908, in Pawnee, Oklahoma, and raised in Muskogee. A determined young man of Cherokee descent, he graduated from Muskogee’s Central High School in 1926 and enlisted in the United States Navy shortly thereafter.
His leadership potential was quickly recognized. In June 1927, he received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and graduated with the Class of 1931. Commissioned as an officer, he began a steady rise through the fleet, serving in a variety of assignments that shaped him into a confident and decisive naval commander.
By the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, then-Lieutenant Commander Evans was serving aboard the destroyer USS Alden, which was operating in the East Indies. As the Pacific War intensified, Evans assumed command of Alden in March 1942, demonstrating firm leadership during the early, uncertain months of the conflict.
In 1943, he was given command of a newly commissioned Fletcher-class destroyer: USS Johnston (DD-557). Before taking her to sea, Evans reportedly addressed his crew with a promise that would define his legacy: “This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way.”
On October 25, 1944, during the Battle off Samar, part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, Commander Evans and USS Johnston faced a vastly superior Japanese surface force that included battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. The American task unit, known as “Taffy 3,” consisted primarily of escort carriers and lightly armed destroyers.
Without hesitation, Evans ordered USS Johnston to charge the advancing enemy. Through aggressive torpedo attacks, gunfire exchanges at close range, and repeated maneuvers under heavy shelling, he disrupted Japanese formations and bought critical time for the vulnerable escort carriers to withdraw.
Despite suffering severe damage and sustaining wounds himself, Evans continued to direct the fight from the bridge. USS Johnston was ultimately overwhelmed and sank after hours of engagement. Commander Ernest E. Evans was lost at sea.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
He is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Commander Ernest E. Evans’ leadership during the Battle off Samar is widely regarded as one of the most courageous destroyer actions in U.S. naval history, a decisive stand by a smaller force against overwhelming odds. His resolve embodied the fighting spirit of the United States Navy during World War II.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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