Captain Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Earned the Medal of Honor at Wonju

Dec 16 , 2025

Captain Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Earned the Medal of Honor at Wonju

The deafening roar of artillery tore through the frozen Korean night, but Captain Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stood unyielding. Each breath a cloud of frost, each step a battle against fatigue and blood loss. The enemy surged like a dark wave, but with his men bleeding and pinned, he refused to yield the ground—his voice a rallying cry above the chaos. Wounded, outnumbered, and exhausted, he became the iron backbone of a shattered defense.

Background & Faith

Edward Robert Schowalter Jr. was born in 1927, Texas soil hard beneath his boots even before he answered the flag. A West Point graduate, Schowalter carried the soldier’s code etched in sweat and discipline: protect your men. Honor was not a word, but a daily demand.

Raised in a devout Christian household, faith was his compass amid war’s smoke and shadow. Scripture breathed in his resolve.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

This promise anchored him when the cold Korean mountains became a crucible of fire.

The Battle That Defined Him

March 26, 1951. The 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, found itself under brutal assault near Wonju, Korea. The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army launched wave after wave against their outpost—an isolated hilltop essential for holding the line.

Captain Schowalter commanded Company E. The enemy pressed hard, attempting to engulf them with numbers. His position was critical, the margin between holding ground and collapse razor-thin.

Schowalter did not falter.

Despite being struck multiple times, he refused evacuation. Bloodied but steady, he moved among his soldiers, directing fire, repositioning wounded men, and leading counterattacks. He wielded his pistol until it was empty, then drew his knife in close combat. When communications lines snapped, he relayed orders himself through the hail of gunfire.

Enemy soldiers reportedly overran the trenches twice, but Schowalter rallied every time, personally spearheading bayonet charges to regain lost ground. Hours prolonged to an eternity of grit and guts.

His citation recounts:

"Despite painful wounds, Captain Schowalter refused to withdraw or be evacuated and continued to lead and encourage his men throughout the period of the attack. His gallant actions and indomitable spirit inspired his troops to hold a position against overwhelming numbers and prevented a breakthrough."

The hill did not fall that night, not on his watch.

Recognition

For his extraordinary heroism, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. received the Medal of Honor. His citation succinctly captures the essence of relentless courage—the kind etched in scars and sweat rather than headlines.

Lieutenant General Williston B. Palmer, a contemporary officer, called Schowalter a “soldier’s soldier”—one who leads from the front, whose example sparks valor in the hearts of those who follow.

Fellow soldiers recalled his voice, strong even when whisper-thin from exhaustion: “Stay with me. We hold this ground for each other.”

The Medal of Honor, often spoken of in tones distant and sterile, for Schowalter was raw, earned in blood and cold sweat on a Korean ridge.

Legacy & Lessons

Schowalter’s story is more than battlefield legend. It is a testament to what faith in mission, belief in brothers-in-arms, and iron will can achieve when all else threatens to crumble. The scars he bore were physical, but the deeper ones—loss, suffering, enduring responsibility—define every veteran who stands between chaos and order.

His courage reminds us that heroism sometimes means standing wounded, refusing relief, and gripping hope tighter than a weapon. It is about leadership forged in the hell of attrition.

Redemption hides in the aftermath of war, in every soldier’s struggle to find peace with what they endured and what they lost.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary...” — Isaiah 40:31

Edward R. Schowalter Jr.’s fight was never just for a hill or a line on a map. It was for the men beside him, the promise of a dawn undimmed by darkness, and a solemn vow that sacrifice never stands forgotten.

To honor a soldier like Schowalter is to acknowledge the price of freedom etched in flesh and faith. His story bleeds into ours, a raw, honest chronicle of valor that demands we never forget what it truly means to carry the fight forward.