Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Medal of Honor hero of the Korean War

Nov 15 , 2025

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Medal of Honor hero of the Korean War

Blood and grit burned in the cold Korean night. Edward R. Schowalter Jr., his rifle jammed and flesh torn, stood alone behind a shattered wall. Enemy waves crashed over his position like a brutal tide. Yet he never yielded. Not once. Not until victory.

A Son of Texas with Fire in His Soul

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Edward Schowalter carried the grit of the Lone Star State in his veins. Raised with a firm hand and a steady faith, his life's compass was set early—duty, honor, and a measure of righteous fire. The Scriptures weren’t words for Sundays only. They were a code stamped on his heart.

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Scratch beneath the surface of this man’s resolve, and you find faith welded to valor. His fellow soldiers would later say it was that combination—steadfast belief and unyielding courage—that carried him through hell.

The Battle That Defined Him: Outnumbered, Wounded, Unbroken

February 26, 1953. Near Kumhwa, Korea.

First Lieutenant Schowalter led Company K, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in a brutal fight to seize Hill 605 from a determined enemy. The Chinese forces were dug in, numerically superior, and relentless.

Suddenly, the assault stalled under heavy enemy fire. Schowalter, refusing to wait for reinforcements, charged forward. Even after a mortar shell blast wounded him in the head and face—blinding and deafening—he pressed on.

His company staggered, then faltered. But Schowalter roared back into the melee, rallying his men with shouted orders, dragging wounded comrades to safety, and manning a machine gun that had been abandoned during the chaos.

Despite his wounds, he destroyed multiple enemy bunkers using grenades and bayonet charges, the cold steel biting through frozen ground and flesh alike. He moved like a force of nature, inspiring his battered unit to hold firm against overwhelming odds.

He didn’t just survive the onslaught—he rewrote the rules of survival.

Medal of Honor: The Nation’s Highest Tribute to Valor

For this action, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation highlights his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action,” noting how his leadership and bravery exhausted the enemy assault, saving countless American lives.

“Despite being gravely wounded in repeated enemy attacks, Lieutenant Schowalter continued to lead, fight, and inspire his men with unwavering courage.” — Medal of Honor citation

Colonel Robert V. Connolly, his regimental commander, later said of Schowalter:

“Ed’s example was one of indomitable spirit. The man simply refused to quit. He stood as a living beacon in a dark hell.”

A decorated combat veteran and a leader forged in fire—his name joined the storied ranks of those who faced death, stared it down, and walked away scarred but unbeaten.

Legacy Etched in Sacrifice and Redemption

Schowalter’s story is not just one of combat heroism. It is a story of scars—visible and invisible—the price of holding the line when the world demands everything.

He returned from Korea bearing wounds that never fully healed but carried a deeper victory: the knowledge that honor is forged amid chaos, and redemption thrives where sacrifice walks.

Today, his legacy reminds every veteran—and every civilian unfamiliar with the cost behind freedom—that courage means taking one more step forward when your body screams to stop.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. laid down more than comfort or safety. He laid down comfort for his comrades, eternity for this moment in history. And because of that, we stand freer.

Combat leaves its mark, sure. But from blood and fire, heroes rise, and faith endures.

Sources

1. Department of Defense, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, 31st Infantry Regiment Operations in Korea 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Citation for First Lieutenant Edward R. Schowalter Jr. 4. Connolly, Robert V., Reminiscences of the 7th Infantry Division in Korea, Military History Press