Sergeant Howell was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 6 July 1953. He was presumed dead on 7 July 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Sergeant Howell was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.