Bowen, Clayton Patrick
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Clayton Patrick Bowen, 29, of San Antonio, Texas, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Dila District, Afghanistan, on August 18, 2009.
Their Story
Clayton Patrick Bowen was a 29-year-old Staff Sergeant from San Antonio, Texas. He served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
On August 18, 2009, Bowen was on patrol in Dila District, Paktika Province, Afghanistan. The vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device. The attack killed Bowen and three other soldiers from his unit: Staff Sergeant Kurt R. Curtiss, Private First Class Jonathan C. Yanney, and Private First Class Jordan M. Brochu.
Bowen's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan. By 2009, the conflict was in its eighth year, and Taliban forces had regrouped. The use of IEDs against coalition forces had become a primary tactic, leading to a sharp increase in casualties.
The Department of Defense announced the soldiers' deaths the following day. Bowen was posthumously promoted from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant. He was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.
Bowen is remembered on memorials including the Afghanistan War Memorial at Fort Richardson and the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment memorial. His name is inscribed on Panel 21W, Line 105 of the Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Wall in Ontario, California.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Clayton Bowen was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
