Nov 06 , 2025

Edward Schowalter's grit at Outpost Harry in the Korean War

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. stood on a Korean ridge, blood streaming from shattered ribs and a broken arm. Enemy waves crashed forward—unrelenting, overwhelming. Yet he pressed on, rallying his men with a voice torn by pain and fire. He was not just fighting to survive. He was fighting to lead. To hold the line at all costs.

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A Soldier’s Backbone: Roots and Resolve

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, 1927, Edward Schowalter’s life was carved by grit and quiet conviction. A West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer, his path was forged under discipline and honor. War, to him, was not a story of glory but a test of will, faith, and sacrifice.

Schowalter believed in something greater than the chaos around him. His Christian faith shaped a code—protect your brothers, stand your ground, never leave a man behind. In the crucible of combat, that faith anchored him.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

—Deuteronomy 31:6

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The Battle That Defined Him: Outpost Harry, June 1953

The Korean War was grinding toward its fevered end, but the fighting on Outpost Harry burned fiercer than ever. June 10, 1953—Schowalter’s unit, Company K, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, faced a savage Chinese offensive. Waves of enemy troops surged up that hill, fighting for every inch.

By that morning, Schowalter had already been shot twice—once in the arm, once deep in the side. Still, he refused evacuation. Instead, he moved from foxhole to foxhole, encouraging men, coordinating defenses, calling in artillery on his own position if necessary. Pain was a distant thunder behind a storm of necessity.

Enemy soldiers swept the trenches during one wave. Schowalter fought hand-to-hand, using his .45 pistol and even a trench knife. His will broke no line. When ammunition dwindled, he sprinted through enemy fire to retrieve more. Twice wounded more, he spat blood and grit but would not yield ground.

At one staggering moment, he was knocked unconscious after being thrown nearly 15 feet by an explosion. When he awoke, he drove his men again to hold the line, leading counterattacks and urging exhausted fighters into action.

His courage stopped the enemy’s momentum.

The outpost remained American. Schowalter’s leadership and tenacity saved countless lives, arguably altering the course of that battle.

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Awarded for Valor: Medal of Honor and Quiet Heroism

For his extraordinary gallantry, Schowalter received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration the United States can bestow. The citation makes no poetic embellishments—just raw facts and undeniable truth:

“Second Lieutenant Schowalter’s intrepid leadership and personal bravery GAVE his unit the stamina to maintain their position … despite wounds that forced him repeatedly to refuse evacuation … he remained with his troops and led the defense by personal example under intense enemy fire.”[¹]

His commanding officers and fellow soldiers remembered not just a warrior, but a man who fought for every breath his men could take—“a rock in the storm,” as one comrade put it.

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Lessons Etched in Blood and Steel

Edward Schowalter’s story is a ledger of sacrifice typed in sweat, grime, and courage. He teaches that heroism is not a triumphant charge alone. It is a wrestle with fear, an embrace of pain, and the refusal to surrender the trust others place in you.

In a world craving quick wins, Schowalter’s battle reminds us what endurance demands.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

—John 15:13

His scars tell of a fight that was not just for a ridge in a forgotten war but for the souls tethered to that hill.

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Remember a soldier who never quit—who bore wounds not just on his flesh, but on the conscience of a free world. His legacy is not just medals in a drawer, but a testament: courage is a choice, even when every breath burns, even when the night seems endless.

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Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations—Korean War [2] Clay Blair Jr., The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950–1953 [3] Department of Defense Archives, 7th Infantry Division Unit Histories

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