WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Sgt. Willis F. McNiel, 20, who was killed during the Korean War, was accounted for Dec. 3, 2025.
In late 1950, McNiel was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, during a major battle near the Jangjin (Chosin) Reservoir, North Korea. Lacking evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death for McNiel on Dec. 31, 1953.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of McNiel's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
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 Accounting page on the DPAA website at: https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebKorean.
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.
McNiel’s personnel profile can be viewed at Sgt. WILLIS FRANKLIN MCNIEL - Service Member Profile.