Robert A. Owens

He charged a firing gun bunker and saved the landing Marines

Robert Allen Owens grew up in South Carolina and worked in a textile mill for five years before enlisting in the Marine Corps on 10 February 1942. He trained at Parris Island and New River, North Carolina, then sailed to Samoa that September with the 3rd Marines. Further training in New Zealand and on Guadalcanal prepared him for his first combat landing.

Robert Allen Owens earned the Medal of Honor at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, on November 1, 1943. A sergeant in Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, he attacked a Japanese gun threatening the landing force.

Owens positioned four Marines to cover nearby bunkers, then charged the firing cannon and entered through its firing port. He drove the gun crew out of the emplacement, silencing a weapon that had inflicted heavy losses on troops and landing boats. Owens died that day.

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, on September 13, 1920, he received the Medal of Honor posthumously. It was presented to his father in Drayton, South Carolina, on August 12, 1945. Owens is buried at Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Medal of Honor 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 Island, 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 four of his comrades to assist him, carefully placed them to cover the fire of the two 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.