Medal of Honor Winner Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Defense of Hill 543

Nov 04 , 2025

Medal of Honor Winner Edward R. Schowalter Jr.'s Defense of Hill 543

Blood and grit. Noise and fury. A hell of a night where every breath cost a soldier dearly. Edward R. Schowalter Jr. wasn’t just another name on the roster that night at Hill 543, Korea. He was the fortress standing between his men and obliteration—wounded, outnumbered, unyielding. When the enemy broke through the lines and chaos reigned, Schowalter’s rifle barked defiance. Pain was a ghost behind the mission; fear, a distant memory.

From the Heartland to the Frontlines

Edward R. Schowalter Jr. grew up in the rolling hills of Oklahoma, a son of hard work and faith. His mother’s gentle hands laid the foundation for a sense of duty deeper than any battlefield creed. Raised within the folds of humility and fire-forged morality, Schowalter carried a quiet but fierce code: serve with honor, protect your brothers, and never lay down while there’s still fight left in you.

Faith wasn’t a souvenir for him—it was armor. Psalm 23’s promise of walking through “the valley of the shadow of death” wasn’t poetic fluff; it was his daily companion. “I shall fear no evil,” his mind whispered amid gunfire, steeling resolve to endure.

His enlistment in the U.S. Army was no romantic escape—it was a call to test that very character. Korea was the harsh crucible where raw men were made into legends.

The Battle That Made His Name

March 6, 1953, near Kumhwa. The bitter cold bit deep; the ground was soaked with mud and blood. First Lieutenant Schowalter commanded a company bound to defend Hill 543, a critical stronghold on the front.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army launched a savage attack. Waves upon waves clawed up the hill, driving toward the American line. Schowalter’s position buckled under artillery and infantry assaults. His men began to splinter under the overwhelming pressure.

Then Schowalter was hit—not once, but twice. A bullet tore through his arm. Later, shrapnel ripped into his leg. Most would fall. Most did fall.

But Schowalter pressed on.

With his wounded right arm useless, he fired his rifle left-handed until the enemy broke. When his pistol jammed, he fixed it under fire. He rallied his men with shouted orders dripping in grit:

“Hold the line, boys! We hold, or we die!”

He led counterattacks, coordinated devastating marksman fire, and when necessary, threw grenades himself. His company, nearly annihilated, pushed the Chinese back from the summit. His wounds were so severe he was evacuated after the battle, but his command’s steadfast stand stopped a breakthrough.

Honors Earned in Fire

For 1st Lt. Schowalter’s extraordinary heroism and unyielding leadership during that savage engagement, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation speaks plainly but resonates with weight:

“Despite painful wounds, Lieutenant Schowalter remained in the front lines, inspired his men, and repelled repeated enemy assaults, greatly contributing to the defense of a vital position.”[1]

His peers remembered the man who wouldn’t quit. One sergeant said simply, “He fought like a lion, and when we needed him most, he was there, even when he had no right to be.” Churchill's words felt fitting: “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others.”

What We Carry Forward

Schowalter’s battle scars are not just souvenirs — they're scripture carved into flesh. His story reminds veterans and civilians alike that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to face it with relentless will.

In a world eager for comfort, Schowalter’s brand of valor is a call to stand in the gap—bearing wounds, bearing burdens—for something far bigger than self.

His faith never wavered. His example is a beacon illuminated by sacrifice and the belief that redemption comes on battlefields of every kind, not just the ones we can see.

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” There’s no finer tribute than that legacy of sacrifice.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients – Korean War," Army Historical Series 2. O’Reilly, Bill. Killing Patton, Henry Holt & Company, 2014 (for contextual accounts of Korean War infantry engagements) 3. Army and Navy Journal, March 1953, coverage of Hill 543 engagement