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Korean War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Pfc. Ernest E. West, US Army
With One Thought in Mind
Wounded themselves, two infantrymen look out for their fellow GIs
Photos by Lane Phalen
I Didnt Do Anything Special
While negotiators in Panmunjom grappled over details of a POW exchange, men on the front lines focused on fighting and staying alive. It was October 1952, and they were facing a third bitter Korean winter. Army Intelligence, meanwhile, had learned that the North Koreans had established a strategic outpost near Satae-ri. Close to the demarcation line between the two Koreas, the Satae-ri valley was dominated by the rocky mountain mass known as Heartbreak Ridge, where some of the fiercest clashes of the war had taken place the previous year.
Given its location, the enemy outpost had to be eliminated. No question in the minds of U.S. planners. To do the job, a 12-man patrol would be sent out from Company L, 14th Infantry Regiment, and 25th Infantry Division. D-day was set for October 12, a Sunday. Accompanying the patrol was Pfc. Ernest E. West, a 21-year-old rifleman from Russell, Ky. As the U.S. unit neared its objective, blazing rifle fire and exploding hand grenades from North Koreans laying in ambush suddenly illuminated the crisp dark night. Some GIs pulled back; others fell dead or wounded on the trail. Any attempt to rescue and recover them was suicide.
As the action swirled about him, West decided to make a stand. You guys can pull out, he yelled to his comrades, but Im not leaving. Dodging heavy fire, he scrambled to the side of the platoon leader, a lieutenant fresh to Company L, who writhed in pain. After firing a full clip from his M-1, West pulled the huge officer down the trail. Grenades spewed shrapnel all around them. West huddled over the man, shielding him from one of the blasts, but took shards of shrapnel in his left eye and face.
Two months before Wests action, a 4.2-inch heavy mortar crew from the 25th Infantry Division fires on Communist hill positions in the Mung Dung-ni Valley.
Ignoring his wounds, he continued to pull the lieutenant farther down the trail, killing three North Koreans in the process with well-aimed shots, When, at last, they arrived at a temporary aid station, a medic wanted to tend to Wests bloodied face, But he would have none of it, saying, Theres no time. Theres a couple more wounded guys out there Ive gotta get. Ill be all right.
With bullets and grenade fragments raining down, he scurried through a thicket and found the two men. Sheltering them at the base of a rock outcropping, West hastily dressed their wounds. One man had taken several bullets in his legs and couldnt walk, but West and the other wounded GI were able to drag him down the trail.
Suddenly, three North Koreans appeared in front of them. When they refused to identify themselves, the half-blinded West pumped off three rounds from his hip, killing all three. He then calmly helped the two wounded soldiers GIs to safety.
Wests eye was unable to be saved. He spent 10 months in several hospitals before finally being medically discharged in August 1953. Five months later, the mild-mannered Kentuckian was called to the White House to receive the Medal of Honor from President Dwight D. Eisenhower . He still insists, I didnt do anything special.
Two months before Wests action, a 4.2-inch heavy mortar crew from the 25th Infantry Division fires on Communist hill positions in the Mung Dung-ni Valley.
Take Care of My Men First
When Edward Schowalter decided to embark on a career in the U.S. Army, he was determined to do one thing: become the best officer he possibly could.
He started by attending Virginia Military Institute and graduated from there in June 1951. He immediately accepted a Regular Army commission, completed the Officers Basic Course at Fort Benning, Ga., became a first lieutenant and shipped out to Korea in March 1952.
By August Schowalter had become commanding officer of Company A, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Learning his company would be the lead unit in a charge up a hill nicknamed for Jane Russell, he prepared his men by having them conduct on a daily basis night recons on the hill itself. They headed out on October 14 as ready as any company could be for battle.
The young lieutenant from New Orleans kept one platoon in reserve, sent another to adjacent Sandy Ridge and led the third himself straight into Chinese fire. From trenches farther up the hill, the enemy hit the GIs with small arms, machineguns, grenades and mortars.
Firing from an M-16 halftank, soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division hammer Chinese Communist positions with their quad .50 caliber machine guns.
Schowalter sprang forward and was immediately struck by a bullet in the back of his hand, while another one grazed his ankle. Disregarding his wounds, he continued to boldly lead his men toward the enemy strongpoint, sticking as close to friendly fire as he could. Suddenly, an enemy round punctured his steel pot, then tore halfway around his head between the helmet and its liner before exiting and lodging between the skin and bone above his right ear. Schowalter was knocked out as a result but just for a few minutes.
Upon coming to, he found himself being dragged to a protected area by a medic. He shrugged off the medics efforts and ran to the thick of the fighting, calling out to his men. They charged and overwhelmed the next line of enemy defenses. Only seconds later, a grenade erupted, sending shards of hot steel into his right side. A medic appeared but was directed by Schowalter to take care of my men first.
Although his platoon was cut nearly in half, Schowalter wouldnt give up. After being radioed that two Marine Corps planes could rocket the main enemy trenches. Schowalter marked the platoons lines with panels and called the planes in.
They came in so low I felt I could reach up and touch their bellies, he recalled later. The Corsairs made two runs, blowing a path through the center of the enemy position so the GIs could get to the trenches. When they did, hand-to-hand fighting broke out as the two sides met.
Schowalter and his men continued down the trench, killing the enemy. His men were succeeding in their push to rid Jane Russell Hill of Chinese. Then an enemy machinegun hidden in a cave opened up with a short burst that caught Schowalter in the right forearm, shattering the bone. He went down again, unconscious.
When he awoke, Schowalter was pinned under a stack of enemy dead. Struggling against their weight, he finally broke free and staggered for help-this time allowing the medics to treat his many wounds.
A few days later, he found himself in an Army hospital in Japan and, eventually, was shipped back to the United States. During his six months in hospitals, medics rebuilt his right arm. They did such a good job that Schowalter completed airborne training a year later.
On Jan. 12, 1954, an amazed Schowalter stood on the steps of the White House as President Eisenhower slipped the blue-ribboned Medal of Honor around his neck. He went on to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and had two tours of duty in Vietnam , where he was wounded three more times. Edward Schowalter retired a full colonel on July 1, 1977.
Lane Phalen is a freelance writer residing in Elburn, Ill. These are sixteenth and seventeenth articles in a series of stories on surviving Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War.
CITATION:
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company L, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Sataeri, Korea, 12 October 1952. Entered service at: Wurtland Ky. Born: 2 September 1931, Russell, Ky. G.O. No.: 7, 29 January 1954. Citation: Pfc. West distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. He voluntarily accompanied a contingent to locate and destroy a reported enemy outpost. Nearing the objective, the patrol was ambushed and suffered numerous casualties. Observing his wounded leader lying in an exposed position, Pfc. West ordered the troops to withdraw, then braved intense fire to reach and assist him. While attempting evacuation, he was attacked by 3 hostile soldiers employing grenades and small-arms fire. Quickly shifting his body to shelter the officer, he killed the assailants with his rifle, then carried the helpless man to safety. He was critically wounded and lost an eye in this action. but courageously returned through withering fire and bursting shells to assist the wounded. While evacuating 2 comrades, he closed with and killed 3 more of the foe. Pfc. West's indomitable spirit, consummate valor, and intrepid actions inspired all who observed him, reflect the highest credit on himself, and uphold the honored traditions of the military service.
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