Commander Ernest E. Evans, whose mother was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian, was a 1932 graduate of the US Naval Academy. His early life in Oklahoma and later naval career were marked by achievement after achievement, with Evans continuously overcoming the bigotry against Native Americans that was rampant in those years.
In October 1944, Evans was in command of the destroyer USS Johnston, which was part of a task force designated Taffy 3. The ships were operating in the waters off the island of Leyte during the invasion of the Philippines, and the Johnston was one of a handful of smaller vessels responsible for protecting six aircraft carriers. In what came to be known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the task force was surprised by a much larger Japanese fleet that included four battleships, eight cruisers, and 11 destroyers. The Johnston and her sister escorts fell back to slow the pursuing Japanese ships, with the Johnston severely damaging a heavy cruiser before absorbing a flurry of hits from multiple battleships. Evans then steered the wounded Johnston between the fleeing aircraft carriers and an oncoming column of Japanese ships, successfully thwarting a desperate final attack. The Johnston would not survive the melee, however, sinking with the loss of half its crew, including Evans. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.
