The future Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer DDG 141 will be named after Ernest E. Evans, the first Native American in the Navy to earn the Medal of Honor and one of only two World War II destroyer captains to attain it.
Evans was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions during the Battle of Samar, which was part of the overall Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific theater during World War II.
Ernest Edwin Evans was born on Aug. 13, 1908, in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He graduated from Central High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy on May 29, 1926. After a years’ enlisted service, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, entered as a midshipman and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in June 1931.
Evans spent his first decade of service in San Diego, Pensacola and aboard seven ships. He was serving on his eighth in the East Indies when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, thrusting the U.S. into World War II.
In 1943, Cmdr. Evans assumed command of the USS Johnston, serving as its only commanding officer. During the commissioning ceremony, Cmdr. Evans reportedly told his crew and the audience assembled, “This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.”
On Oct. 25, 1944, off the coast of the Philippines, Cmdr. Evans and the crew of the USS Johnston found themselves in harm’s way during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On that day, Cmdr. Evans and his fellow destroyer captains launched an offensive attack against overwhelming odds against a much larger Japanese naval force, with the USS Johnston in the lead.
Not waiting for orders, Evans commanded the crew to begin a torpedo run, drawing fire away from the carriers, directly taking hits from three powerful 14-inch guns. Despite severe damage to his ship and his own wounds from Japanese fire, he repeatedly put the USS Johnston between the enemy and more vulnerable U.S. ships, saving the lives of thousands of his fellow Sailors. This would later become known as “the Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.”
Ultimately, the USS Johnston was lost during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, with Cmdr. Evans going down with his ship. For his leadership and selfless service in the face of a superior enemy force, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon, Cmdr. Evans was also awarded the China Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal and Fleet Clasp, and was entitled to the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six engagement stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense and Liberation Ribbons with the one star.
Guided missile destroyer DDG 141 will be the 91st ship in the Arleigh Burke class. Secretary of the Navy Carlos del Toro announced the future USS Ernest E. Evans during Native American Heritage Month in November 2023.
This is the second ship named after Evans, with the first being USS Evans (DE-1023), a Dealey-class destroyer escort.