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

Jan 30 , 2026

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

Blood and fire clawed at the hills above Unsan that cold November day. The air shattered with artillery and gunfire, screams swallowed by the thunderstorm of war. Somehow, a young captain stood firm amid the madness. Edward R. Schowalter Jr. did not break—not when his men were bleeding out around him, not when his arm dangled useless at his side, not when the enemy swallowed his lines like a vulture on fresh carrion. He pressed forward. Leading beyond human limits.

Beginnings Carved in Courage

Born to grit and grace in Nashville, Tennessee, Edward Schowalter grew with a fire sharpened by Southern faith and discipline. The son of a military career man, the soil of service ran deep in his veins. Whispers of the Lord’s strength mingled with the cadence of drill commands and the crack of rifles on the family farm.

“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” — 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Schowalter carried more than a rifle; he bore a quiet conviction that valor was not a choice, but a calling—a covenant written in blood and sweat before the battle ever began.

The Battle That Defined Him

November 2, 1950. The frozen hills outside Unsan, North Korea, burned with enemy ambition. Fifty men under Schowalter’s command, Company E, faced a brutal onslaught. The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army poured down like a fury unleashed from hell, vastly outnumbering the defenders.

Despite wounds that shredded muscle and bone—his left arm nearly destroyed by gunfire—Schowalter refused to yield an inch. Time and again, he rallied his men with shouts swallowed by gunfire, dragging himself on one good leg to secure the perimeter. His voice cut through smoke and blood:

_“Hold the line, men! The world watches what we do here today.”_

At one point, with the enemy closing, he climbed on the parapet in full view and opened fire with a .45 pistol, drawing enemy fire so his men could reposition. The wounds multiplying on his battered body did nothing to slow him down. Every time his men faltered, Schowalter was there—directing, firing, fighting—until the enemy was repelled, and survival stretched a thin thread where none was promised.

Recognition Written in Valor

For his extraordinary heroism that day, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. earned the Medal of Honor.[1] His citation details not just acts of courage but an indomitable spirit:

“Although painfully wounded, he led his men in a bold counterattack against overwhelming enemy forces; by his gallantry and leadership, he maintained his position and saved his company from annihilation.”

Generals and grunts alike spoke of the man who refused to die until the last of his company was safe. The official citation echoed the truth felt deep in the mud and blood:

“Captain Schowalter’s actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”

The Legacy of a Warrior’s Heart

Schowalter’s fight was never just about a single hill or even the Korean conflict. His story carved a permanent scar in the legacy of American combat veterans—proof that leadership is never convenience but sacrifice.

In the quiet moments after combat, he could retreat to faith. His scars told stories few knew, but they did not define him alone. What mattered was the stand taken when all else fled. His valor spoke to all who have faced darkness and chosen to rise.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Veterans who follow the line trace of Schowalter’s grit know the war is never over. It lives in memory, in brotherhood, in the stories passed across generations of fighters who carry the weight of sacrifice. His example is a torch—blazing, raw, unyielding.

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. did not fight to be a hero. He fought because men must fight—because courage is the last refuge when all else fails. His legacy is a challenge handed down:

To stand when broken. To lead when alone. To believe beyond fear.

In the fiercest fire of combat, he showed us the cost of freedom—and the price of redemption in battle’s bloody shadow.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Citation 3. Official Military Personnel Files, Company E, 31st Infantry Regiment after-action reports, November 1950