How Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Earned the Medal of Honor in Korea

Feb 04 , 2026

How Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Earned the Medal of Honor in Korea

Rain mixed with blood and dirt. The ground shook beneath their feet, artillery roaring overhead. Captain Edward R. Schowalter Jr. had been wounded—twice already. He should have fallen, broken. But he was still shouting orders, rallying his men against a relentless tide of enemy forces on a frozen ridge deep in Korea.

No man left behind. Not on his watch.

The Making of a Warrior

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. grew up in a small town carved out of Midwestern grit. Raised in a Christian household, his faith was the backbone as much as his father’s hard work. Discipline, honor, sacrifice—words hammered into him like the steady drip of rain on cold steel.

When the Korean War roared to life, Schowalter didn’t just sign up; he vowed to lead with every fiber of his being. He joined the U.S. Army, commissioned into the infantry, carrying not only a rifle but a heavy burden of responsibility.

His belief ran deep:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13

Faith was his armor when bullets weren’t enough.

The Battle That Defined Him

February 1, 1951. The rugged hills near Yangp’yong, South Korea—a fortress held by enemy forces bent on annihilation.

Captain Schowalter’s company was tasked with retaking Hill 1232 amid a brutal Chinese counterattack. Enemy numbers flooded the ridge. The cold was a razor, cutting through frozen fingers. Chaos reigned.

Early in the fight, Schowalter took a grazing wound but refused to fall back. Every man depended on his voice.

The enemy zeroed in on his position with waves of grenades and small-arms fire. When his radio malfunctioned, Schowalter grabbed a telephone wire and crawled under fire to restore communications.

His courage was relentless. Twice more he suffered wounds—one severe enough to threaten his life—but he refused evacuation. He led a hand-to-hand counterattack. His small force pushed back enemy squads, regaining lost ground.

At one brutal moment, with grenades exploding all around, he shouted:

“We’re not leaving!”

And his men held firm.

His Medal of Honor citation states:

“Despite his wounds and against overwhelming odds, Captain Schowalter’s fearless leadership inspired his men to defeat the enemy and hold the objective.”

His command post was smashed, his men decimated, but his resolve was steel.

Recognition Earned Where Blood Is Spilled

On June 5, 1951, President Harry S. Truman awarded Captain Edward R. Schowalter Jr. the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism.[1]

Higher honors exist in name only. The badge hung heavy with stories of courage tested through fire. Fellow soldiers recalled:

“Ed was the kind of leader who made you stand when falling was easier.” — SFC Robert Lauder, 45th Infantry Division veteran[2]

He was also awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his wounds sustained during the fierce engagements on Korean soil.

The medal’s gleam masks the scars no one sees—the burning conviction to lead in the face of annihilation.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Faith

Schowalter’s story is more than martial valor; it is a testament to the human spirit forged in sacrifice and redemption.

Many veterans speak of battle as a crucible. It exposes fear, hopelessness—and sometimes, through God's grace, unbreakable courage.

His life warns us: leadership demands sacrifice beyond the call of duty.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Schowalter’s actions on Hill 1232 embody that scripture. The courage to stand, to carry wounded comrades, to breathe faith and command into chaos—this is the legacy burned into the soul of combat veterans.

Blood Won’t Wash Away Alone

The battlefield leaves no guarantees. It carves wounds, some invisible. Men like Edward R. Schowalter Jr. remind us that valor is entwined with sacrifice and redemption.

Today, when we look at medals dangling in cases or statues etched in stone, remember the man beneath the steel. The prayer whispered through gunfire. The wounded hand still steady on the radio.

That is the price of freedom.

They fought, bled, and lived with a faith that whispers:

“Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be afraid...” — Deuteronomy 31:6

Their legacy carries the weight of the fallen, the hope of the living, and the cost paid in flesh and spirit.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War [2] Veterans History Project, Library of Congress: Interview with SFC Robert Lauder, 45th Infantry Division