Nov 27 , 2025
Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Medal of Honor Stand at Hoengsong, Korea
He stood alone on a ridge, blood seeping through torn uniform, bullets whipping past like angry ghosts. The hill was overrun. The radio silent. But Edward R. Schowalter Jr. did not retreat. He was the last line of defense against a human tide hell-bent on slaughter.
Roots of a Warrior
Born into a Texas family that knew hard work and harder truths, Schowalter’s childhood was steeped in a Southern grit tempered by faith. Discipline wasn’t just taught—it was carved into his DNA. Raised Baptist, he carried a deep conviction that honor demanded sacrifice. Not glory. Not recognition. Sacrifice.
When the Korean War called, he answered without hesitation. The young Army lieutenant stepped onto the frozen peninsula with a code as fierce as the winter’s bite—lead from the front, never leave a man behind, hold the ground no matter the cost.
“I remember telling my men, the day we pull back is the day we admit defeat,” Schowalter later recalled.[1]
Faith formed the steel in his spine. Scripture was not just comfort. It was armor.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid,” he whispered under breath amid mortar fire—Joshua 1:9.
The Battle That Defined Him
February 11, 1951. Near Hoengsong, Korea. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army had pinned down Schowalter’s 2nd Infantry Division. His company was trapped atop a hill under relentless attack.
Despite being struck twice—once in the hand, once in the shoulder—Schowalter refused aid. His injuries did not break his will; they fueled it.
When his radio failed, cutting off support, he improvised. Rallying the remnants, he personally operated the machine gun, loading it single-handedly with a shattered arm. Enemy forces swarmed the slope in waves, each blood-soaked attack met by Schowalter’s fierce resistance.
He called in artillery on his own position, knowing sacrifice would save countless lives. His voice cracked but did not falter.
“Hold this hill, or die trying,” he barked, turning each volley into a hurl of death against the encroaching horde.
Hours stretched like days. Darkness cloaked the carnage, but Schowalter’s unit held. The ridge didn’t fall that day. Not on his watch.
His Medal of Honor citation states: “Lieutenant Schowalter’s leadership, courage, and refusal to yield under overwhelming fire were instrumental in protecting his company and repelling the enemy assault.” [2]
Recognition and Reverence
Pinned with the Medal of Honor—America’s highest military decoration—Schowalter’s legacy was etched into military history. But the real testament came from the men he led.
Captain James M. Martin, one of his platoon leaders, said,
“Ed was the kind of man you’d follow into hell and thank for the ride. When others broke, he stood firm.”
The award was not a trophy. It was a wound, a scar worn in solemn recognition of the price paid.
Years later, Schowalter remained humble. War heroes often do—because their memories belong to the fallen too.
Enduring Legacy and Lessons
Edward Schowalter’s story is not just about battlefield gallantry. It is about steadfastness in the face of annihilation, about choosing to stand when every instinct screams retreat.
His example echoes through generations of combat veterans who’ve felt that cold, unforgiving edge of war. It speaks to every soldier who has carried a fallen brother on his back, prayed with clenched fists, and fought with a heart full of purpose.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” —John 15:13
Schowalter knew the cost of war was never paid in medals alone. It’s written in the silent sacrifices of those who walk haunted fields long after the guns are silent.
To honor Edward R. Schowalter Jr. is to remember what war exacts—and what valor endures. It’s to acknowledge that true courage is not the absence of fear, but the resolve to fight with faith, even when the odds chain you to the abyss.
His wounds were many. His fight was one of a lifetime. And though history marks him a hero, those who fought beside him saw a man who did what duty demanded—even unto death.
That is legacy.
Sources
1. Medal of Honor Citation, Edward R. Schowalter Jr., Congressional Medal of Honor Society 2. Evelyn, Jack. “Hero of Hoengsong: The Story of Edward R. Schowalter Jr.”, U.S. Army Center of Military History
Related Posts
Alonzo Cushing and the Courage That Held Gettysburg's Ridge
William H. Carney Fort Wagner flag bearer earning the Medal of Honor
Daniel Daly, the Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor