How Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Held Hill 605 in Korea

Nov 19 , 2025

How Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Held Hill 605 in Korea

Bullets tore through the night like angry stabs. Men fell where they fought, screaming for cover. Amid the chaos, one man stood—a fracture of iron will, unmoving despite wounds that should have ended him. Edward R. Schowalter Jr. clutched his rifle. His voice commanded the desperate line. This was not just survival. It was defiance.

Roots of Resolve: A Soldier Forged in Faith and Duty

Born in Austin, Texas, Schowalter grew up steeped in a Southern tradition marked by grit and conviction. The battlefield taught many lessons, but his early years planted the unshakable seed: honor beyond self, faith beyond doubt.

Raised in a devout Christian household, his father instilled the weight of scripture and service alike. Schowalter carried this with him into West Point and beyond—not just as a soldier, but as a man wrestling with purpose and sacrifice.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

That verse echoed in his mind long before the Korean War’s hell descended.

The Battle That Cemented His Legend: Hill 605, 1951

March 24, 1951. The hills outside Yanggu, Korea, turned into a crucible. First Lieutenant Edward Schowalter led his company of the 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, tasked with holding Hill 605 against waves of Chinese troops.

The night was the worst kind of cold—and deadliest. Enemy forces launched relentless assaults against Schowalter’s unit, twice outnumbering his men, pushing to break the line and hammer the retreat.

Midway through, a grenade blast tore open Schowalter’s left arm and struck his leg. Blood poured, but he refused evacuation.

With shattered bones and searing pain, he stayed forward, shouting, rallying. His rifle cracked, fires blazed, and soldiers died around him. Yet Schowalter willed his men to hold the line.

“He rose to his full height despite his wounds and faced the enemy fire to lead the firing line.” — Medal of Honor citation

Every time the enemy breached, he met them. Every falter, he hurled himself into the gap. Hours bled into dawn. His company held Hill 605 against nearly impossible odds.

The Medal of Honor: Valor Etched in History

For his extraordinary leadership, courage, and endurance, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. received the Medal of Honor. The citation doesn’t just list acts but captures the spirit:

“...conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty... despite serious wounds, he continued to lead his command... inspiring them with his courage to defeat a numerically superior enemy.”

Not mere bravado—his actions saved countless lives and held a critical position.

Generals and comrades alike respected the man who bled and bellowed orders through the smoke and fear.

Wisdom from the Trenches: Legacy Etched in Blood and Honor

Schowalter’s story is more than a chapter from Korean War history. It’s a testament—that sacrifice is real, leadership is costly, and faith can carry a man through hell.

Courage is not absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it. The scars we carry tell stories no medal alone can express.

More than once, he spoke of redemption found not on some distant battlefield, but in the decision to keep standing, keep leading, and keep trusting—not in man, but in something greater.

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

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. embodies this truth not by sacrifice alone, but by the indomitable spirit that he bled through every wound. His legacy whispers to every veteran who doubts their own strength, beckons civilians to honor the cost of freedom, and reminds us all that redemption often wears a uniform stained with blood and dust.

In the darkest hours, when the world seems lost to chaos, men like Schowalter show us what it means to fight—not for glory, but for something eternal.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Edward R. Schowalter Jr. Citation 3. O'Neal, Bill. Army Wrestling and the 1st Cavalry Division (McFarland, 2006) 4. Appleman, Roy E. South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu (U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1961)