Sergeant Howell was a member of Company B, 14th Engineer Combat Battalion, U.S. Army. He was standing near a truck when it hit a mine. He was evacuated to the Naval hospital ship USS Repose (AH-16) off Inchon, South Korea where he died on 5 July 1952.

Howell was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.