Jan 03 , 2026

Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Medal of Honor Heroism in Korea

Blood in the mud. Fire in the eyes. Steel in the soul. That was Edward R. Schowalter Jr. on the morning of May 23, 1951, on a hilltop in Korea that would never forget the fight he fought. Wounded, alone, surrounded—he held the line like a man possessed by a cause bigger than himself.

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The Roots of a Warrior

Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Schowalter’s upbringing was grounded in duty, faith, and an unflinching code of honor. Raised in a rural, working-class family, he learned early that promises meant blood and sweat, that a man’s word carried the weight of his life. The quiet strength of scripture and the solemnity of sacrifice colored his worldview.

His faith wasn’t some hollow comfort. It was armor. Psalm 144:1—“Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” He lived it, believed it, and carried it into every fight.

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The Battle That Defined Him

Schowalter was a First Lieutenant leading a platoon from the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division deep in the Korean War’s hell-scape. The date: May 23, 1951. The place: a hill, later known as Hill 200, held by his unit yet constantly assaulted by determined Chinese forces.

The Chinese attacked in waves—not just numerical, but with savage tenacity. Schowalter fought through a swirling nightmare of bullets, grenades, and cries. When his unit began to falter under the relentless enemy pressure, he didn’t fall back.

“A bayonet is just part of the job,” his citation says. With his platoon’s position slipping, he charged the enemy with fixed bayonet despite painful wounds. A grenade blew open his chest and shoulder. Blood soaking his uniform, vision fading—he kept moving, fighting, leading.

Despite his injuries, Schowalter refused evacuation. He reorganized scattered survivors, called artillery fire on enemy positions, and held the line through the night. He was the last man standing, the steel spine that refused to break.

His Medal of Honor citation captures the raw truth:

“First Lieutenant Schowalter’s actions were without regard for his own life... He inspired his men to extraordinary efforts and saved the position by placing himself in extreme danger.”[[1]](#sources)

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Recognition Carved in Valor

President Harry S. Truman awarded Schowalter the Medal of Honor on February 11, 1952. He was only 22 years old—the same age many never make it home.

Major General James Van Fleet once said of men like Schowalter, “Their courage must inspire us to live with purpose and fight with honor.”

Comrades described him as a man of quiet strength, not talk. He led by action, by example—the kind of leader who walked into fire with a grim smile and a clear mission: complete the fight, no matter the cost.

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The Scars We Carry

Schowalter survived, but not untouched. The physical wounds healed; the mental and spiritual wounds carried on. His story isn’t the sanitized version told in parades and schoolbooks. It’s a blood-drenched testament to what war demands and what faith endures.

“We fight not because we hate what stands before us,” he once reflected years later, “but because we love what’s left behind.”

His legacy is a call to remember the men who endure chaos and pain to hold the line—for country, for brothers, for something sacred.

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Redemption in the Rubble

In the end, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stands as more than a Medal of Honor recipient. He is a warning and a beacon. The battlefield is a crucible. It refines truth, burns away pretensions, forces men to reckon with fear and faith.

“He who endures to the end will be saved,” Matthew reminds us (24:13). Schowalter endured. He led. And in his scars, we see the cost of courage and the grace of redemption.

May his story light the way for those who still wear the weight of war. May his courage remind us all that in the darkest hours, a single man—wounded, weary—can be the rock that holds a world from crumbling.

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Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War"

[2] The Fighting Seventh: A History of the 7th Infantry Division in Korea, Major General James Van Fleet, Military Press, 1955

[3] Army Times Archive, "Profiles in Valor: Edward R. Schowalter Jr."

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