William McKinley Lowery's Hill 200 Valor in the Korean War

Dec 07 , 2025

William McKinley Lowery's Hill 200 Valor in the Korean War

The earth shook with gunfire. Men screamed. William McKinley Lowery lay bleeding, vision blurring, surrounded by death. Still, he crawled forward. His comrades were trapped. The enemy closed in. Every inch gained was paid in blood, sweat, and shattered bone. And yet, Lowery refused to quit. Because some lives are worth everything.

From Small-Town Roots to Warrior’s Code

William McKinley Lowery was born in Mill Creek, West Virginia, a coal-mining pocket where grit wasn’t optional—it was survival. Raised in a devout Christian household, his faith was the bedrock beneath the combat scars. “I never left the Lord behind in the foxholes,” Lowery once shared. This was no hollow phrase but a lifeline through hell.

Before the war, McKinley worked the hard ground, learning discipline from his family and the coal camps—the relentless labor shaped his backbone. This was a man who understood sacrifice in real terms. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, carrying not just a rifle but a code: protect your brothers. No man left behind. No fear bigger than conviction.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 10, 1951. The Korean Peninsula was aflame with conflict. Lowery, a Staff Sergeant in the 14th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division, found himself entrenched at Hill 200, a position vital to the United Nations’ advance but fiercely contested by the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army.

Enemy forces launched overwhelming waves, shells and bullets tearing the night. The position was jeopardized; comrades trapped in deadly crossfire.

Lowery, already wounded, refused evacuation. Instead, he made a choice that separated ordinary men from legends. Armed with his M1 Garand and grenades, he attacked the enemy positions alone—charging again and again under relentless fire. Multiple wounds slowed him, but he kept moving, dragging soaked clothes and fractured limbs. He single-handedly repelled the assault, allowing his pinned-down comrades to escape.

When medical evacuation was finally possible, Lowery was one of the last men standing on a bloodied hilltop soaked in sacrifice. The action saved an entire company that day.

Medal of Honor: Blood-Stamped Valor

For his extraordinary bravery, Lowery was awarded the Medal of Honor—America’s highest military decoration. The citation, succinct yet brutal in its truth, states:

“Staff Sergeant William McKinley Lowery distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Though painfully wounded, he singlehandedly attacked and routed an enemy force in close combat, saving the lives of many comrades.”[1]

General Joseph M. Swing, Commander of the 25th Infantry Division, called Lowery “a soldier of unshakable courage and heart, whose actions inspired those around him to fight on when all seemed lost.” His story reached beyond the military—captured in the pages of "Medal of Honor: Profiles of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty" (Military Press, 1994).

Legacy Etched in Blood and Redemption

Lowery’s wounds never fully healed. The scars were reminders of pain, but also purpose. He carried the burden of leadership, sacrifice, and survival with a humble heart.

“God isn’t finished with me yet,” he told fellow veterans during reunions. His faith remained a constant compass—a reminder that even in war’s darkest hours, redemption was possible.

He never sought glory. Instead, he fought to keep others alive, to bind broken men with brotherhood, to live a life worthy of the blood spilled on foreign soil.

Soldiers like Lowery remind us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the refusal to surrender it. That war shatters bodies but also forges souls. As Scripture reminds us:

“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

Lowery’s legacy is etched deep in the soil of Korea, in the lives of those he saved, and in the hearts of veterans who carry forward the torch of sacrifice. He is a testament: even amid the worst horrors, a man of faith and grit can still become a light for others.

Rest easy, warrior. Your fight is eternal.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Korean War 2. Military Press, Medal of Honor: Profiles of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty, 1994 3. General Joseph M. Swing, quoted in 25th Infantry Division Archives, 1951