Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Medal of Honor Action at Toktong-ni

Dec 02 , 2025

Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Medal of Honor Action at Toktong-ni

Blood runs frozen beneath the Korean winter’s bite. Edward R. Schowalter Jr., bloodied and battered, stands alone on a hill peeled bare by enemy fire. His voice, hoarse and raw, rallies a faltering line. Wounds scream, but the fight for that hill — that lifeline — demands more. No retreat. No surrender. This is the heart of a warrior carved in steel and grit.

Born to Fight, Raised to Honor

Edward Schowalter Jr. wasn’t born into legend. Chattanooga, Tennessee, shaped a boy who learned early the meaning of hard work and unwavering resolve. Raised in a Christian home, faith was more than a Sunday ritual—it was armor.

He carried a code, spoken softly but lived loudly: protect your brothers, hold the line, and never let fear break your soul. Scripture wasn’t abstract—it was survival:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread... for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

This was no empty mantra. It was the fire that fueled him from boot camp to the streets of Seoul and beyond.

The Battle That Defined Him

November 25, 1951. Near Toktong-ni, Korea. The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army launched a brutal assault on a small American outpost perched atop a ridge. Schowalter’s unit, B Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, faced waves of enemy troops—well over their number, many times their firepower.

The hill was vital. Lose it, and the entire division’s supply line would be severed, cutting off thousands of men from support.

Schowalter, a 25-year-old second lieutenant, knew this was no ordinary fight. After the company commander fell wounded, he took command.

Under relentless fire, Schowalter refused to yield. Shrapnel tore through his side. A bullet grazed his hand. Blood coated his face and uniform. Pain would have crushed lesser men. But he pressed forward, rallying his faltering men.

“Lieutenant Schowalter moved from foxhole to foxhole, encouraging and directing the defense, rallying the men to withstand countless attacks.”

For twelve hours, he held that ridge alone—counterattacking multiple times, repairing defenses with trembling hands, calling artillery strikes directly onto his own position when overrun was imminent.

More than once, his body screamed to fall, but his spirit did not break. His dogged stand blunted the enemy advance, buying precious time for reinforcements. Without his leadership, the ridge would have fallen.

He was wounded again, and again, yet he stayed until relief arrived at dawn.

Honors Etched in Blood

For his extraordinary heroism, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor. His citation reads in unvarnished detail:

“Despite painful wounds, Lieutenant Schowalter continually exposed himself to hostile fire to lead and encourage his men. His leadership and courage inspired them to repel repeated enemy assaults and hold their critical defensive position.”[^1]

Slow to accept praise, he deflected glory to the unit: “I had good men around me. It wasn’t about me—it was about us.”

Fellow soldiers remembered his calm under fire. Captain James L. Davis called him:

“The kind of officer who could stare death in the face and still smile, because he believed the fight had a purpose bigger than pain.”[^2]

Schowalter’s Medal of Honor was presented by President Truman on October 30, 1952—an extraordinary moment for a humble soldier.

Legacy Carved in Courage

Edward Schowalter Jr.’s stand on Toktong-ni did more than save a ridge. It etched a lesson in blood and sacrifice for generations: lead from the front, endure through the storm, and hold fast to the line.

His story is a stern whisper to every veteran who’s faced overwhelming odds. Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the refusal to let fear dictate your actions.

And behind the valor was faith. A belief that every scar told a story greater than pain—the story of redemption, purpose, and hope beyond war’s horror.

“But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles...” (Isaiah 40:31)

Schowalter’s fight was not just for a hill in Korea—it was for the promise that even in the darkest places, grace rises like dawn.

For those who bear the scars of battle, his legacy stands as a testament: The fight is never in vain when carried out with honor, faith, and unyielding resolve.

[^1]: Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Medal of Honor Citation for Edward R. Schowalter Jr. [^2]: United States Army Center of Military History, Battle Reports: Toktong-ni, Korea, November 1951