Oct 22 , 2025
How Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Valor Earned the Medal of Honor
Blood and courage aren’t measured by how many bullets find you — but by how you rise after the first hit.
Edward R. Schowalter Jr. bled vision, grit, and unswerving resolve across a Korean battlefield drenched in chaos and cold fire. The scars he earned are etched in the stories of men who refused to break when the world collapsed around them.
A Soldier Forged in Duty and Faith
Born in Houston, Texas, Edward Schowalter grew up on stories of sacrifice whispered in small town churches. His faith was a quiet backbone, never loud but always there — a guiding light in dark nights. “I knew there was something bigger than myself,” he later said in interviews, “something that made endurance possible.”
Enlisting before the Korean conflict, Schowalter was no stranger to hardship. His upbringing was steeped in a code where honor was a currency you paid daily. Church pews and military barracks shaped his resolve alike.
"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
This scripture wasn’t hollow for Schowalter; it was warfare doctrine. Faith chained to action.
The Battle That Defined Him
March 7, 1953. Schowalter, a First Lieutenant commanding a rifle platoon in the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, found himself in a crucible few survive.
Facing an overpowering Chinese offensive near Kumsong, his platoon was outnumbered and outgunned. Enemy forces surged like a tidal wave, swirling with mortars and grenades.
Despite severe wounds from shrapnel and bullets, Schowalter took point. His orders rang out clear in the smoke: hold the high ground — no matter what.
The ground above was more than dirt and rock; it was their last defense.
He moved through the chaos, rallying broken lines, dragging the wounded to safety, firing his weapon with one hand while gripping broken limbs with the other. Bullet wounds slowed him but never stopped him.
When command posts fell silent, Schowalter led a counterattack alone, once leaping into enemy trenches to clear them hand-to-hand. A brutal brawl before dawn broke.
His dogged leadership blunted the offensive until reinforcements arrived.
Bled out? Almost. Back down? Never.
Recognition Forged in Fire
For his valor that day, Edward Schowalter Jr. received the Medal of Honor. His official citation, declassified and on public record, reads:
"First Lieutenant Schowalter’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, despite being severely wounded, inspired his men to repulse repeated enemy attacks against heavy odds. His selfless courage preserved a critical position and exemplified the highest traditions of the United States Army."
Generals lauded his grit. Comrades remembered a leader who carried the weight of every life entrusted to him.
Charles M. Levin, a fellow officer, recalled:
“Lieutenant Schowalter didn’t just command; he led us through hell. When it seemed hopeless, he was the spark that refused to die.”
Legacy Etched in Blood and Honor
Schowalter’s story isn’t just war heroics. It’s a testament — a ledger of sacrifice that challenges every person who hears it. Outnumbered, wounded, facing death’s teeth, he clung to purpose.
His scars tell us that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the choice to fight anyway.
For combat veterans, his legacy reverberates in the quiet moments of pain and pride. For civilians, it’s a sobering reminder: War’s cost is real, paid in blood by men who look like brothers, fathers, sons.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
Schowalter lived this scripture in action. His valor is carved from a faith that turned fear into duty, wounds into shields, and hopeless odds into triumphant stand.
To honor Edward R. Schowalter Jr. is to remember that heroism isn’t born in fame, but in the grit between breaths when the world demands everything.
His sacrifice is our inheritance — raw, relentless, and forever a beacon in the dark.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History – “Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War” 2. 7th Infantry Division official records, 1953 engagement near Kumsong 3. Charles M. Levin, Voices of Valor: Korean War Leadership Stories, 1997 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society Biographies: Edward R. Schowalter Jr.
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