WWII · Battle Death Record
Robert Owens
Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps · South Carolina
Medal of Honor
Personnel File — Core Information
- Name
- Robert Owens
- Entered the Service From
- South Carolina
- Rank
- Sergeant
- Service
- U.S. Marine Corps
- Unit / Regiment
- Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division
- War
- WWII
- Date of Death
- November 1, 1943
- Awards
- Medal of Honor, Purple Heart
- Burial / Memorial
- Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
- Grave
- Plot N, Row 12, Grave 200
Their story
On November 1, 1943, during the landing at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Sergeant Owens charged alone through the fire port of a Japanese bunker housing a 75mm gun that was destroying landing craft, driving out the gun crew and silencing the weapon. He was mortally wounded in the action and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.
Compiled from American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and National Archives (NARA) records and public sources.
This record is one of more than 200,000 in our historical archive. Some information may have been corrupted or lost over decades of data conversion. Corrections are welcome — please contact the archive.