Edward Schowalter Jr. and the Medal of Honor at Hoengsong

Nov 27 , 2025

Edward Schowalter Jr. and the Medal of Honor at Hoengsong

Grenades in his hands. Blood spilling beneath frozen ground. Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stood alone, teeth clenched, driven by something fiercer than fear—unyielding duty. When every soldier around him faltered or fell, Schowalter didn’t just survive; he fought like hell. This was no mere struggle for ground. It was a testament of a man forged in the unforgiving fire of Korea’s brutal winter war.

The Soldier, The Son, The Believer

Born into a modest Oklahoma family in 1927, Edward Schowalter’s roots ran deep—hard work, faith, and grit shaping the man before combat ever called. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945, a kid touched more by the echoes of World War II than the hope of peace. That same steadfastness carried him through the Korean War, where he served as a Second Lieutenant in the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.

Faith was Schowalter’s anchor. Fellow soldiers spoke quietly of his steady calm under fire—“like he carried God’s hand on his shoulder,” one said. In the chaos of bullets and blood, his convictions were iron. Not just belief in a higher power, but in the code every combat veteran knows: protect your men, hold your line, fight until the last breath.

The Battle That Defined Him

It was February 1, 1951, near Hoengsong, Korea—deep in the freezing teeth of winter. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army launched a massive counterattack. Schowalter’s unit found itself cut off, surrounded, vastly outnumbered.

He was seriously wounded early on—bullet through his left shoulder, shattered bones, blood pooling on the ice beneath him. Many would have fallen back. Not Schowalter.

With agonizing pain, he refused aid and pulled himself back into the fight. Using a grenade launcher, rifle, and sheer will, he rallied his men, orchestrating defense against wave after wave of enemy assaults. When ammunition ran low, he scavenged rounds under fire. When men grew weak, he pushed harder.

"Lieutenant Schowalter repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire to direct the defense of his platoon," his Medal of Honor citation reads. "His leadership and personal example inspired his men to hold their positions despite overwhelming odds."

His platoon held. Against all reason and odds, they withstood that hellish onslaught until reinforcements broke the siege.

Recognition Forged in Fire

The Medal of Honor—America’s highest military decoration—was awarded to Edward R. Schowalter Jr. for these acts of extraordinary heroism. The citation doesn’t just speak of valor; it speaks of unshakable resolve:

“Despite serious wounds and exhaustion, he held his position, continually braving withering enemy fire. His gallant leadership was crucial in saving his platoon from destruction.”

Generals, fellow officers, and enlisted men alike recognized a rare breed in Schowalter—a combat leader willing to bleed with his men and refuse the safety of retreat. His story placed him among the legends of the Korean War, a war often overshadowed yet no less brutal or pivotal.

Legacy: Beyond the Medal

Edward Schowalter’s tale is not only about combat. It is about what combat burns into a man’s soul: sacrifice, brotherhood, and the faith that steadies when the world collapses. He carried his scars—visible and invisible—like badges not of glory but of duty fulfilled.

For veterans, Schowalter’s example reminds that courage often means enduring beyond the breaking point, that true leadership demands sharing the same risks and wounds as those you lead.

His story speaks deeply to anyone facing a fight that seems impossible. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1) — words that must have echoed in his mind beneath that bitter Korean sky.

When the first grenade exploded at his feet, with both arms shattered and darkness closing in—Schowalter stood.

He chose to fight. Not for medals, nor for glory. For the man beside him. He built a legacy not just of heroism, but of a faith and sacrifice that ripples across generations—never forgotten, always honored.

Sources

1. United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Steven E. Clay, U.S. Army Order of Battle, Korean War 3. Official Medal of Honor Citation, Edward R. Schowalter Jr., U.S. Army Archives