Kowall, Corey Joseph
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Corey Joseph Kowall, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was killed in action on September 20, 2009, in Viper Zabul, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Corey Joseph Kowall was a 20-year-old soldier from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He served as a paratrooper with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On September 20, 2009, Kowall was killed by an improvised explosive device while on a dismounted patrol in the Viper area of Zabul province, southern Afghanistan. The blast also killed another soldier from his unit, Specialist Matthew K.S. Swanson, 20, of Lake Forest, California.
Their deaths occurred during a period of intense fighting in Zabul, a province along a key insurgent transit route. U.S. and NATO forces were engaged in a major offensive, Operation Enduring Freedom, which had begun in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks.
Kowall's body was returned to the United States. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other military honors. His funeral was held in his hometown of Murfreesboro.
He is remembered on memorials at Fort Bragg and in Tennessee. His name is inscribed on Panel 21 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
Explore Further
Corey Kowall 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.
