My Warrior's Place

Kelly Kowall dreamed in vivid color about her son, SPC Corey Kowall, after the 20-year-old Army paratrooper was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 on his way to assist a convoy. “He came to me every night, five nights in a row, and told me to buy a boat,” she said. At first, Kowall and her mom laughed about the strange, specific and expensive request; but eventually, Kowall realized she couldn’t resist her son’s wishes. She found herself buying a boat and taking military veterans and families of fallen soldiers out for rides.