Edward R. Schowalter Jr., Medal of Honor Hero of Korea

Nov 13 , 2025

Edward R. Schowalter Jr., Medal of Honor Hero of Korea

Edward Schowalter Jr. bled where others broke. His grit wasn’t born from comfort—it was carved deep in the mud and blood of Korea, under fire so fierce it would shred lesser men’s souls.

He stood alone. Against a flood of enemy storming his hill, wounded but unrelenting, screaming orders, rallying his shattered platoon. No man left behind. No ground surrendered. That’s where he made his name: in the crucible, when the world fell apart around him, and he refused to fall.

Background & Faith

Born in Texas, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. carried the stubborn work ethic of the South and the quiet strength of faith. Raised in a family who valued duty and honor, he joined the Army with clear eyes and steady heart.

Faith wasn’t a mere comfort to Schowalter—it was his backbone. In battle, when the roar of artillery drowned out everything else, he clung to scripture. Psalm 23 whispered in his ear: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” That covenant with God solidified the lines he refused to cross: protecting his men, standing fast against overwhelming odds.

The Battle That Defined Him

January 12, 1953. The terrain near Wonju, Korea. Bitter cold. Enemy forces in desperate numbers attacking the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division’s outpost. Schowalter was then a first lieutenant in Company K, 31st Infantry Regiment. The enemy surged like a tidal wave. They struck with such ferocity that many called it a suicidal charge.

Schowalter’s command post was under siege. Bullets shredded the air, grenades turned the earth into chaos. He was shot through the shoulder early on, but he grabbed a rifle and shattered pain with purpose. His platoon dwindled; many wounded or dead. Yet, he led—moving from foxhole to foxhole, inserting himself where hope was paling.

At one point, an enemy grenade landed near a group of American defenders. Without hesitation, Schowalter dove atop the explosive, using his body to shield his men from the blast. His wounds deepened, but he stayed conscious.

When orders came to withdraw, he refused. “I’m not leaving my lads on that hill,” he told his comrades. Instead, he organized a fierce counterattack. Despite exhaustion and injuries, Schowalter orchestrated a defense that blunted a second assault, buying time for reinforcements to arrive.

His actions weren’t reckless bravado—they were calculated sacrifices, driven by a soldier’s discipline and a leader’s love for his men.

Recognition

For that day, Schowalter earned the Medal of Honor. The citation calls out his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.” His courage saved countless lives and turned a potential rout into a stalwart stand.

General Omar Bradley, commander of the 12th Army Group, once reflected on the men like Schowalter:

“They prove the worth of a soldier not in the safe quarters of camp, but in the hellfire of combat when the chips are down.”

Schowalter’s citation was explicit: wounded multiple times, ignoring pain, rallying men against overwhelming odds—he epitomized battlefield leadership.

Legacy & Lessons

Edward R. Schowalter Jr.’s story is forged in extremes—fury and grace. He teaches us that courage isn’t absence of fear, but throwing yourself into the flames despite it. His faith carried him through wounds and fury, and his code of honor kept him steady.

His stand on that Korean hill echoes in every unit that faces the impossible. Sacrifice is never neat or comfortable. It is raw. Bloody. It demands the last ounce of strength when your body screams no.

But redemption rides on that sacrifice. Schowalter’s story is not just about war—it’s about what comes after. The bonds forged in hell endure beyond it. The hope that no sacrifice is wasted, that every scar is a testament.

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

Edward Schowalter Jr. lived that truth in full measure. His legacy isn’t just in medals or stories—it’s in every veteran who stands again after falling, every comrade who carries a brother’s name forward.

In honoring him, we honor all who refuse to quit. Steel and spirit intertwined, forever unbroken.

Sources

1. Department of Defense, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War. 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations. 3. Bradley, Omar N., A Soldier’s Story, 1951.