Medal of Honor: Robert Allen Owens – Bougainville, World War II – November 1, 1943
In the chaos of the Bougainville landings, one Marine charged straight into the muzzle of a Japanese 75mm gun — and silenced it from the inside.
November 4, 2025
Name: Robert Allen Owens
Rank: Sergeant
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: Marine Division, Solomon Islands Campaign
Born: September 13, 1920 – Greenville, South Carolina
Accredited to: South Carolina
Summary of Action
The morning of November 1, 1943, at Cape Torokina on Bougainville, Japanese defenders poured murderous fire into U.S. landing craft struggling toward shore. From a hidden bunker, a 75mm regimental gun ripped through Marines and boats alike, threatening to halt the entire invasion.
Sgt. Robert A. Owens saw that rifle and grenade attacks could not dislodge the entrenched crew. Rallying four Marines to cover him, he advanced alone under the cannon’s fire, charging directly into its smoking barrel. Owens dove through the fire port of the gun bunker itself, driving out the Japanese crew and ensuring their destruction before he was mortally wounded.
His one-man assault silenced the weapon that had stalled the landing and saved untold lives. Sgt. Owens’ final act of valor cleared the way for the 3rd Marine Division to secure the Bougainville beachhead — one of the most critical footholds of the Solomon Islands campaign.
Medal of Honor Citation
Born: 13 September 1920, Greenville, S.C.
Accredited to: South Carolina.
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.
