WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that Army 1st Lt. William H. Hott, 29, of Holmesville, Ohio, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 18, 2025.
Hott’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.
In late 1950, Hott was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action December 2, in the vicinity of Chosin Reservoir, North Korea and witnesses later reported that he was killed during a withdrawal on December 1. The U.S. Army disused a report of death on Feb. 28, 1951, and declared his remains non-recoverable on Jan. 16, 1956.
On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Aug. 1, 2018, and were subsequently accessioned into the DPAA laboratory for identification.
To identify Hott’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA analysis and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism.
To see the most up-to-date statistics on DPAA recovery efforts for those unaccounted for from the Korean War, go to the Korean War fact sheet on the DPAA website at: https://www.dpaa.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Article-View/Article/569610/progress-on-korean-war-personnel-accounting/
Hott will be buried in his hometown in August 2025.
For family information, contact the Army Casualty office at (800) 892-2490.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil or on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dodpaa, https://www.instagram.com/dodpaa/, or https://x.com/dodpaa.
Hott’s personnel profile can be viewed at: https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000VSonwEAD
Read Hott’s initial ID announcement here: Hott.