Jan 12 , 2026

Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Heroism at Hill 605 and Medal of Honor

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stood in the vicious fury of a Korean winter, cold biting through his uniform, blood seeping from wounds that should have knelt him into surrender. The savage terrain of Hill 605 bore silent witness as enemy waves crashed like hell’s own storm. Yet there he was—lead from the front, refusing to falter, refusing to yield.

In that moment, a crucible forged a warrior’s soul.

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Blood and Honor: The Making of a Soldier

Born 1927, Schowalter came from modest roots in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The son of a steelworker, he was baptized early in hard work and grit. Not just muscle, but faith underpinned the man. Raised within the Methodist Church, his moral compass was sharpened by scripture and a fierce commitment to duty. That code—do what’s right, no matter the cost—would carry him through hell itself.

Before Korea, Schowalter served as a lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Division during World War II. But it was the Korean War that stripped away polished illusions of war, exposing raw edges and brutal truths. He wasn’t just fighting men; he was fighting to hold a line for all who depended on him.

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The Battle on Hill 605: Hell Unleashed

March 26, 1953—His company was tasked with taking and holding Hill 605 near Chorwon Valley, a strategic high ground. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army clawed at every inch, throwing grenade after grenade, wave after wave.

Schowalter was wounded early—gunfire tore through flesh and bone, but he refused evacuation. He seized a machine gun, rallying his men, barking orders through shouts and sheer will. When the enemy punched through their defenses, he charged into hand-to-hand combat.

"His actions were indispensable to holding the hill," his Medal of Honor citation reads. Despite severe pain, he directed mortar fire, inspired faltering troops, and led multiple counterattacks over 18 grueling hours.

His right leg mangled by a grenade blast, veins visible through torn skin, Schowalter pressed on—his left arm holding a rifle steady. He endured five separate wounds, yet held the position until reinforcements arrived.

“Against overwhelming odds, Lieutenant Schowalter’s fearless determination stopped the enemy’s advance—and saved countless lives.” — Medal of Honor citation, U.S. Army

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An Honor Worn Like Scars

President Dwight D. Eisenhower awarded Schowalter the Medal of Honor on October 27, 1953.

His citation, stark and unembellished, praises his "dauntless courage," but the stories from his men paint a fuller portrait of a leader forged in fire. First Sergeant Edward J. Bruno recalled:

“I never saw a man so shot up keep fighting. He was blood and guts—the kind who makes the rest of us believe we can’t die.”

Other honors included the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Yet Schowalter’s humility kept medals in shadows, preferring to remember the men who never came home.

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The Enduring Legacy: Discipline, Faith, and Sacrifice

Schowalter’s story is not just valor. It’s a testament to sacrifice—the cost of holding the line when all you want is to fall. He understood the weight of command, the brutal calculus of war. But beyond that, he carried a deeper purpose—a redemptive faith that death was not final.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

His legacy endures in the grit of every soldier who faces impossible odds and chooses to stand anyway. In Schowalter’s life echoes a call: courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s belief in something greater than yourself.

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In the grit and blood of Hill 605, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. found his purpose. Not in medals, but in faith, leadership, and the steadfast refusal to let darkness prevail.

That’s the price of freedom, paid in scars and sacrifice.

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Medal of Honor Award Ceremony Records 3. Bruno, Edward J., Personal Testimony (as cited in Valor in Korea, Military History Quarterly, 1991)

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