Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Held Pork Chop Hill, Earned Medal of Honor

Dec 16 , 2025

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Held Pork Chop Hill, Earned Medal of Honor

Blood on the cold mud. A lieutenant kneels, bleeding through every seam of his uniform, smoke choking the hills of Pork Chop Hill. The enemy presses hard—their guns barking like death itself. But Edward R. Schowalter Jr. refuses to fall back. Not now. Not ever.

Roots of Resolve

Born in Alabama in 1927, Schowalter grew up on the unforgiving grit of the South. Discipline was forged early—not through comfort but challenge. He carried a warrior’s code shaped by faith and duty. His Christian upbringing wasn’t just Sunday talk; it was the armor he bore into hell. A man who believed in fighting not for glory, but for those who could not fight for themselves.

Schowalter earned his commission in 1948, joining the U.S. Army and molding himself into an officer ready to carry men through hellfire. When Korea erupted in June 1950, this young leader volunteered for every run into the fire. His ethics were simple: Lead from the front, shoulder the burden, and shield your brothers.

The Battle That Defined Him

April 17, 1953. Pork Chop Hill. A knoll more suited to wolves than men, covered in sharp rocks and tangled fields. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army surged forward in waves, burning to retake this strategic outpost in the last months of the Korean War.

Schowalter led Company C of the 31st Infantry Regiment. The assault hit with brutal force—hand grenades, machine gun fire, artillery ripping patches of earth. They were outnumbered nearly two to one. His platoons began to buckle, soldiers falling under fusillades, the hill slipping through their fingers.

Then, amid screams and blood, the lieutenant was hit—badly. A shell fragment tore through his arm and side, but he kept crawling forward. Pain had no vote. He rallied his men, slamming back grenades, organizing scattered soldiers into defensive lines with naked guts.

"Lieutenant Schowalter refused medical aid. He called his wounded men to him and continued to lead until relived," remembers Capt. W.E. Cunningham. “His voice was a beacon through that storm.”

Against orders to withdraw, Schowalter insisted on holding position. Each time the enemy surged, he counterattacked, dragging wounded men back under fire, ignoring the searing agony that wracked his body. When his left arm was shattered, he still shouldered the rifle and grenade pouch with his right hand.

Hours passed like lifetimes. Darkness came with more attacks, but the hill stood firm—an unbroken line in the swirling chaos. Schowalter’s steadfast will anchored his men through the slaughter.

Honors Etched in Blood

The Medal of Honor came with a terse citation that barely captured the storm those hours contained:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Lt. Schowalter... displayed extraordinary heroism and consummate leadership in defense of his position."

He received the award on March 18, 1954, underscoring a legacy built with raw courage, not words. Other citations, including the Purple Heart and Silver Star, filled his record, but none told the story of that night on Pork Chop Hill like the Medal of Honor.

General Maxwell D. Taylor praised him as “the kind of officer every soldier wants at his side when the bullets fall like rain.” Schowalter never sought limelight. He carried his scars quietly.

Legacy Carved in Stone and Spirit

What does it mean to fight when the price is your blood and limb? Schowalter’s life is the answer — courage chained to faith, sacrifice grounded in purpose.

He teaches a hard lesson: Holding the line is not just about ground or tactical advantage, but the souls under your command. True leadership burns hot in the crucible of suffering.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

His story still echoes in those who remember: the dusty foxholes, the shouted orders, the bitter cold when death leans close. It resounds in the unyielding will of veterans who know what it means to stand firm despite shattered bones and broken bodies.

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. did more than hold a hill. He held a standard—of honor, sacrifice, and redemption—etched forever in American memory.

In the hush after battle, when all the smoke clears, the true fight remains inside. To live with the scars. To carry the burden. To see the purpose beyond the carnage.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Military Times, Hall of Valor Project: Edward R. Schowalter Jr. 3. Maxwell D. Taylor, U.S. Army Leadership Memoirs 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Citation