RUSKIN, Fla. — There’s a quote often attributed to Ernest Hemingway.
Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name.
Kelly Kowall’s son personifies that saying.
In 2009, Specialist Corey J. Kowall was killed in action while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
“He wanted to be Army Airborne — Ranger. Jump out of planes,” said Kowall. “His plan was to come back from Afghanistan and go to Ranger school. He just didn’t get that opportunity.”
However, if Hemingway’s saying is true, Corey is still very much alive.
His mom, Kowall, still says his name almost daily. For the past 12 years, she’s worked tirelessly to cement his name into a legacy of helping other veterans.
“They truly are my hero and who I want to help because of my son,” Kowall said.
My Warrior’s Place is that legacy. The nonprofit in Ruskin provides veterans a place to rest, relax, and process the things that keep them up at night.
They can stay overnight in the rescue’s cozy cottages. They can fish and kayak the Little Manatee River, which abuts the property. Veterans can stay for a few minutes or a few weeks.
Kowall has seen the rescue make a true difference in veterans’ lives.
“Sometimes you see them going from frowns on their face to smiles,” she said. “I’ve had veterans come up to me years later and go, ‘You didn’t know it when I was out there, but I was contemplating suicide, and I’m walking today and not one of the 22, because of My Warrior’s Place.’ That’s huge.”
When she walks the tranquil grounds of My Warrior’s Place, she feels her son’s presence. She feels him urging her to keep up the important work.
“He lets me know, you know, to keep fighting,” Kowall said. “And I’ve had other people say they feel him too.”
Right now, however, her nonprofit is at a crossroads ever since Helene and Milton.
“I know that the first day that I came out here and I saw the devastation after Helene, I just cried,” she said.
The first storm flooded most of the cottages offered to veterans. The second storm uprooted trees, which smashed some of what was left.
“Helene and Milton did more damage than we’ve ever seen,” Kowall said. “Ever.”
My Warrior’s Place would like to keep helping veterans but needs help of its own right now in the form of money or labor.
“Anything would help,” Kowall said. “We need volunteers. If you’re a skilled laborer, you know, drywall, painting, you know, flooring, sub-flooring. All of that is needed.”
Is the nonprofit too far gone?
For now, Kowall says her son’s presence is still too strong to even think about surrender.
“He knows when I’m getting down or overwhelmed, and he keeps reminding me that you’ve gotta keep fighting,” she said.
Inside one of the battered cottages is a reminder of Corey’s overarching spirit.
Before the flooding, Kowall penciled a message on one of the cottage’s studs. When flood water receded, the message was still there: a heart wrapped around Corey’s name and the date his body died.
His name, however, is still being spoken. His presence is still guiding his mom forward.
You can learn more about helping My Warrior’s Place at this link.
