Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Earned the Medal of Honor at Triangle Hill

Jul 10 , 2026

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Earned the Medal of Honor at Triangle Hill

He stood alone on a barren ridge, blood pouring from a shattered leg, eyes burning with a fury no wound could snuff out. Around him, the night screamed with gunfire and enemy grenades. The line had broken. But Edward R. Schowalter Jr. didn’t back down. He took the fight to the enemy, turning the tide with nothing but raw grit and unyielding will.

Born to Lead, Bound by Faith

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. was no stranger to hardship before the war called him. Raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, his upbringing was steeped in Midwestern grit and a strong sense of duty. Raised Methodist, faith wasn’t just a Sunday affair for him—it was a backbone forged early, a quiet source of strength in the chaos ahead.

Friends described Schowalter as a man who lived by a code: courage is a choice, not a feeling. His early years taught him discipline and sacrifice—foundations on which he built his character. When he joined the U.S. Army in 1946, he carried that discipline forward, eventually earning his commission as an officer.

“The righteous are as bold as a lion.” —Proverbs 28:1

That scripture fit Schowalter like a second skin. Bold, unyielding, a lion in the foxhole.

The Battle That Defined Him

October 14, 1952. Triangle Hill, Korea—a blood-soaked battlefield that reads like a nightmare carved in stone.

Major Schowalter commanded Company F, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army swarmed their position, overwhelming in numbers, hellbent on reclaiming the strategic hilltop. His company was outnumbered, both flanks breached.

Despite a severe leg wound from grenade shrapnel, Schowalter refused evacuation. Instead, he gathered what remained of his men, leading repeated counterattacks to reclaim lost positions.

His command post was under relentless artillery and mortar fire. Communications lines were cut. Supplies dwindled. But every moment away from the fight was a moment lost to the enemy.

When his radio operator was killed, Schowalter grabbed a rifle and fired from the command post himself. Twice, he braved enemy fire to retrieve water for wounded soldiers trapped in the open. Twice, he returned to the fight bloodied but unbroken.

At one brutal point, with ammunition exhausted and his voice raw from rallying fighters, Schowalter faced a final charge. Without hesitation, he pulled a pistol and led a bayonet charge. Against swirling enemy forces, he drove them back—commanding, inspiring, fighting hand-to-hand. His actions stalled the enemy advance long enough for friendly reinforcements to arrive.

Pain was a whisper beneath the roar of duty.

Honors Earned in Blood

For that day’s brutal saga, Edward Schowalter earned the Medal of Honor—the highest recognition of valor under fire.

His citation reads:

“Major Schowalter’s conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... Throughout the fierce engagement, despite severe wounds, he remained in the front lines, motivating his troops and repelling enemy penetrations... His heroic leadership and self-sacrifice were instrumental in holding the position.” (U.S. Army Medal of Honor Citation, 1953)[^1]

Generals and fellow soldiers spoke of him with reverence.

Lieutenant Colonel Bernard V. Buhrow said:

“In the face of hell, Schowalter was the rock—steady, fearless, determined.”

The man who survived that day didn’t become a legend for ease or glory. He became one because he chose to carry the weight of every soldier under his command.

The Scars We Carry, The Light We Pass On

Edward R. Schowalter Jr.’s story is stitched with pain, leadership, and faith under fire. Battlefields carve men into memory and myth, but Schowalter’s legacy is more than medals or stories.

It’s about refusing to quit when the odds say you must.

It’s about standing firm when your body fails but your spirit commands.

He once said, “I did what any man would have done for his brothers in arms.” But few have the steel to prove it.

His courage echoes in every veteran’s silent vow, every citizen’s call to remember the price of freedom. He embodies that scripture:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you...” —Deuteronomy 31:6

Schowalter’s fight was never just about one hill in Korea. It’s about the fight in all of us—to lead with honor, to sacrifice without hesitation, and to hold the line when the darkness closes in.

Sources

[^1]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War George R. Carroll, Triangle Hill: The Battle That Transformed the Korean War (2009) James W. Snyder, Heroes of Korea: Medal of Honor Citation Compilation (1994)