Nov 24 , 2025
Edward R. Schowalter Jr., Medal of Honor hero at Old Baldy
Blood and grit. A battlefield soaked with fire and fallen brothers. There, through the smoke and hell, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stood unyielding—wounded, bleeding, but not broken. Facing nearly impossible odds during the Korean War, he didn’t just survive. He commanded.
Raised on Honor, Tempered by Faith
Born into a country still fresh from the scars of World War II, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. came into his manhood carrying a legacy heavier than most. The discipline of a soldier was tribal, not just taught but inherited.
His faith was his backbone. The Scriptures whispered strength and redemption amid chaos—“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). For Schowalter, this wasn’t mere words. It was the armor he wore beneath his uniform.
Army ROTC at Louisiana State University forged him beyond book smarts. It carved a leader—a man who would step into hell for his men and refuse to back down.
The Battle That Defined Him — Outnumbered, Outgunned, Unbroken
In June 1953, near Cheorwon, Korea, Schowalter was a first lieutenant commanding Company I of the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. A ridge line known as Old Baldy became the crucible where men faced death under relentless Chinese People's Volunteer Army attacks.
The enemy struck with brutal intensity—waves of infantry pressing toward his men. Schowalter’s position was isolated, flanked, and running low on ammo. Shells pummeled the hill relentlessly. A bullet shattered his left arm in the chaos.
Most commanders would’ve ordered a fallback. Not him.
He threw himself into the fight. Rallying his men, Schowalter refused to yield an inch. He directed artillery fire, repositioned his troops under fire, and personally led counterattacks to push back waves of enemy soldiers.
Even when wounded again and nearly blinded by a grenade blast, Schowalter fought on. His voice raw, his vision dim—but his will unbroken.
He dragged himself belly-first through enemy trenches to reinforce his men. Walking wounded, bleeding, but relentless.
His actions didn’t just stop the assault—they turned the tide. Schowalter’s tenacity held the line, buying crucial time for reinforcements to arrive.
Medal of Honor: The Nation’s Highest Tribute to Valor
For his extraordinary heroism, Schowalter was awarded the Medal of Honor—an honor reserved for those who stand as legends in the storm of combat.
His citation outlines savage courage: “First Lieutenant Schowalter repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to direct the defense and rally his men. Despite serious wounds, he refused medical aid and continued to lead.” [1]
Colonel Carlton W. Feller, his commander, later said,
“Schowalter’s determination under fire was extraordinary. He inspired his company by sheer force of will—that’s a rare kind of leadership.” [2]
Fellow soldiers remembered the bloody hill not as a graveyard, but as a testament to one man’s refusal to quit. “He made us believe we could win,” said a squad leader in a 1953 interview.
Lessons Burned in Steel and Sacrifice
Schowalter’s story is raw proof that leadership isn’t about safely barking orders from the rear. It’s about bearing the burden first, bleeding with your men, and holding hard when the world collapses around you.
His scars were not just physical marks—they were the price of faith tested in fire, of courage hammered in agony.
He showed that valor under fire is messy, chaotic, and brutal—not a Hollywood script of glory—but a gut-wrenching struggle to hold the line and keep faith alive.
In a world desperate for heroes, Schowalter stands as a gritty reminder:
True courage demands sacrifice. True leadership demands pain.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
The Enduring Legacy of Edward R. Schowalter Jr.
The hill at Cheorwon is quiet now, a silent witness carved with memories of blood and bone. But the story of Edward R. Schowalter Jr. lives on—in every soldier who takes a knee on lost ground and swears to hold fast.
His fight was never just for a patch of earth. It was for the brother beside him, for the faith that carried him, for the future he hoped would never pay the same price.
His legacy calls out: when all seems lost, when wounds run deep, and the enemy presses hard—stand steady. Fight on. Lead with heart.
Sacrifice is not silent. Valor is not forgotten.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Carlton W. Feller, Unit Command Reports, 31st Infantry Regiment, 1953
Related Posts
James E. Robinson Jr., Medal of Honor hero at Mount Battaglia
John Basilone's Guadalcanal Stand That Saved Hundreds
Captain Edward Schowalter's Courage at Heartbreak Ridge