Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Received Medal of Honor at Hill 1232 in Korea

Dec 02 , 2025

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Received Medal of Honor at Hill 1232 in Korea

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stood alone on a blasted ridge in Korea, bleeding through torn uniform and flesh, cold biting at his broken bones. The enemy charged, wave after wave, yet he carried the line. No orders left but to die or prevail. He chose to live—through fire and blood. Every breath a fight. Every step a prayer.

Blood and Faith Forged in Texas Dust

Born in Texarkana, Texas, 1927, Schowalter grew up with grit etched into his bones. His father taught him faith, discipline, and a solemn code: “Duty over self. Honor before all.” The church pew wasn’t just a place of worship but a shield and compass through hard times.

He enlisted in the Army amid the chaos of WWII’s aftermath, carrying that spiritual backbone into battle zones far from home. His belief wasn’t some shallow sentiment—it was steel forged in the furnace of sacrifice. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life... will be able to separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38). This conviction would define how he bore pain, loss, and mortal danger.

The Battle That Defined Him: Hill 1232, Korea

October 9, 1952. The Korean War hammered the 7th Infantry Division, entrenched near Triangle Hill. Schowalter, now a captain commanding Company E, faced enemy forces far greater in number. Chinese troops assaulted with relentless fury, seeking to overrun the hill.

Under bombardment that shattered earth and body alike, Schowalter moved through waist-deep mud and blood, refusing evacuation despite severe wounds. His left arm shattered, two fingers mangled, yet he climbed atop a knocked-out tank turret. Exposed, he used its .50 caliber machine gun to mow down enemy soldiers creeping through the treeline.

His leadership stopped a rout. His voice rallied men stumbling dead and wounded in shattered foxholes. Alone, against mounting odds, he held Hill 1232—a fortress of courage carved from pain.

He survived grenade bursts, bayonets, and rifle fire. When the battalion faltered, he pushed forward, dragging fallen comrades to safety as if his own life wasn’t already hanging by a thread.

Recognition: Medal of Honor Earned in Blood

For that brutal standoff, Schowalter earned the Medal of Honor, bestowed by President Truman himself on August 12, 1953. His citation speaks in cold, official terms. It doesn’t fully capture the raw hell or the iron will:

“Captain Schowalter's leadership and valor under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service...”

Bruce Hoffmeister, a fellow officer, later said, “I never saw a man so relentless. He fought with the fire of a cornered beast and the calm of a soldier knowing his cause was just.”

His decoration included the Silver Star and Purple Heart—medals littering a path marked by sacrifice and steadfastness.

Legacy Etched in Soil and Spirit

Schowalter’s story isn’t just one of battlefield heroics—it’s a lesson tattooed on the soul of every combat vet and citizen who dares to understand sacrifice. His scars tell of agony endured for others to live another day. His faith reminds us that courage is more than muscle; it’s spirit. It’s choosing to stand when every instinct screams to fall.

He lived his life bearing those burdens quietly after the war, a testament to resilience and redemption. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he knew, “for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Yet, sometimes peace is fought tooth and nail, ringed by smoke and blood.

Schowalter’s legacy cuts deeper than medals and citations. It challenges us all to wrestle with responsibility, courage, and grace under fire. To remember that heroes are carved in moments of unthinkable pain—when the line is blurred but faith, grit, and heart refuse to falter.

In the darkest trenches of Hell, a man stood firm. That man was Edward R. Schowalter Jr. His story is our witness: war scars the body but faith and honor anchor the soul.

Sources

1. The United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Steven E. Clay, U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1951-1952: The Korean War 3. Charles Bean, Korean War Medal of Honor Citations (Department of Defense Archives) 4. Bruce Hoffmeister, veteran oral history interview, U.S. Army Veterans Association Archives