Robert A. Owens
Robert Allen Owens | |
---|---|
United States of America | |
Service/ | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 1942–1943 |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit | Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Navy Cross Purple Heart |
Sergeant Robert Allen Owens (September 13, 1920 – November 1, 1943) was a
Early years
Robert Allen Owens was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on September 13, 1920. The family later moved to Spartanburg, which young Owens listed as his home town. After two years in high school, he went to work as a textile worker in a neighboring town. He worked at that for five years before his enlistment in the Marine Corps on February 10, 1942.
Marine Corps service
In 1942, Owens went through
Medal of Honor action
On November 1, 1943, the
Sizing up the situation, Sgt Owens decided that the only way to neutralize the gun was to charge it directly from the front. Calling on four volunteers to assist him, he positioned them where they could place supporting bunkers under fire. At the moment when he judged he had a fair chance of reaching his objective, the six-feet-three, 232-pound Marine charged right into the very mouth of the still rapidly firing cannon. Entering the emplacement through the fire port, he chased the Japanese out the back where they were cut down by his rifleman. Pursuing them, he in turn was instantly killed.
It was discovered that a round had been placed in the chamber and the breech was almost closed at the moment that Sgt Owens came through the fire port. Over 150 rounds of high-explosive shells were stacked and ready for firing. The enemy had counted heavily on this weapon to stop the Marine landing. They made several determined but fruitless efforts to recapture the piece. Maj Gen Allen H. Turnage, Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Division, said, "Among many brave acts on the beachhead of Bougainville, no other single act saved the lives of more of his comrades or served to contribute so much to the success of the landings."[1]
Posthumous recognitions
General
Initially buried in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps Cemetery on Bougainville, Sgt Owens' remains were later reinterred in the Manila American Cemetery formally Fort McKinley U.S. Military Cemetery .
Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with a marine division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during extremely hazardous landing operations at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on 1 November 1943. Forced to pass within disastrous range of a strongly protected, well-camouflaged Japanese 75-mm. regimental gun strategically located on the beach, our landing units were suffering heavy losses in casualties and boats while attempting to approach the beach, and the success of the operations was seriously threatened. Observing the ineffectiveness of marine rifle and grenade attacks against the incessant, devastating fire of the enemy weapon and aware of the urgent need for prompt action, Sgt. Owens unhesitatingly determined to charge the gun bunker from the front and, calling on 4 of his comrades to assist him, carefully placed them to cover the fire of the 2 adjacent hostile bunkers. Choosing a moment that provided a fair opportunity for passing these bunkers, he immediately charged into the mouth of the steadily firing cannon and entered the emplacement through the fire port, driving the guncrew out of the rear door and insuring their destruction before he himself was wounded. Indomitable and aggressive in the face of almost certain death, Sgt. Owens silenced a powerful gun which was of inestimable value to the Japanese defense and, by his brilliant initiative and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, contributed immeasurably to the success of the vital landing operations. His valiant conduct throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service.
/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN
Namesake
The
See also
References
- Inline
- ^ a b United States Marine Corps biography.
- Naval History & Heritage Command, Department of the Navy. October 14, 2005. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
- ^ "USS Robert A. Owens (DD-827)". NavSource.org. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
- General
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- "Sergeant Robert Allen Owens, USMC, Who's Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps. Official Marine Corps biography". Archived from the original on September 3, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2006.
- "Sgt Robert A. Owens, Medal of Honor, 1943, 3/3, Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Medal of Honor citation". Archived from the original on May 18, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2006.
Further reading
- Chapin, Captain John C., USMCR (Ret) (1997). Top of the Ladder: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons. Marine Corps Historical Center, United States Marines Corps. Archived from the original on 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
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ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link). Describes the battle at Bougainville.
- Hoffman, Major John T. USMCR (1995). From Makin to Bougainville: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War. Marine Corps Historical Center, United States Marines Corps. Archived from the original on 2004-09-22. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
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ignored (help).