The 24-year-old Stoney Creek native returned from an eight-month assignment this past April in Afghanistan and says fallen comrades Private John Michael Roy Curwin, Private Justin Peter Jones and Corporal Thomas James Hamilton will be in his thoughts on Nov. 11.

“I was fortunate to make it back,” he said. “I didn’t know Pte. Curwin, Pte. Jones and Cpl. Hamilton that well, but what I do know is there’s a strong bond between soldiers. You’re forever connected by what you’ve seen and experienced.”

Cpl. Cowden left the comforts of home last September for the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. He served as a member of the Force Protection Company and was stationed with a platoon of Argylls and other soldiers at a small operating base inside Kandahar City.

“It was a huge culture shock. When night fell, the whole city was in darkness. It was common to see people just walk on the side of the road and go to the bathroom and houses without roofs,” he said. “We were stationed outside the walls of the main Canadian base in Kandahar; our camp was in the middle of the city and our job was to provide security for the people, our base, dignitaries and conduct convoy and foot patrols.”

Cpl. Cowden and his platoon were also assigned to protect soldiers working from Camp Nathan Smith, which houses the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. The team is tasked with rebuilding roads and other projects and Cpl. Cowden and his comrades were involved with providing protection during reconstruction activities.

Cpl. Cowden says he will never forget Dec. 13, 2008, when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near an armoured vehicle during a patrol in the Arghandab District, killing Pte. Curwin, Pte. Jones and Cpl. Hamilton, who were also members of the Force Protection Company of the Provincial Reconstruction Team.

“At that time, our platoon was inside the camp; we were designated for camp security that week and you couldn’t do anything –you wanted to go out and help, but you couldn’t,” he said. “You prepare for IEDs, but you can’t in a way. We have drills and technologies to prevent IEDs from going off, but you can’t guard against them 100 per cent. They’ll always build bigger bombs and that’s the worst feeling because every time you drive over a culvert in the road, you’re thinking, ‘This could be it.’ It’s the scariest feeling in the world.”

Cpl. Cowden says to combat that feeling he turned to his fellow soldiers.

“It’s all about the guys standing next to you,” he said. “You get through things together; I made the best friends of my life, while I was over there.”

Cpl. Cowden says the biggest message he can relay to others is to be thankful.

“Just be thankful for where you live,” he said. “This (Canada) is an amazing place, right down to the smallest details; it all comes down to the basics and people forget that sometimes.”

Cpl. Cowden is aware some people don’t support Canada’s military role in Afghanistan.

“I don’t really pay attention to what others say,” he said. “I just went over to do a job and I did it.”

Cpl. Cowden says no matter what your position on Canada’s military role in Afghanistan, it’s important to remember all of the men and women who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and democracy during the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, Afghanistan conflict and peacekeeping missions.

“Remembrance Day is a time to honour those who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace,” he said. “It’s a day to say thank you to all of those who gave their lives and their futures, so that we, and others, may live in peace.”