Hallford, William Thomas
Army Private 1st class

William Thomas Hallford, age 22, from Alabama, Russell county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, July 6, 1953
Death details: On July 6, 1953, a large Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) unit attacked and overran the U.S. Army outposts on Pork Chop Hill in an attempt to seize whatever territory possible before the impending armistice agreement. After fighting for the position for four days, on July 10, the 7th Infantry Division Commander determined that the CCF disregard for casualties and desire to hold the outpost outweighed the position’s tactical value, and ordered a withdrawal that was eventually completed on July 11. The U.S. never again controlled Pork Chop Hill, preventing thorough recovery efforts for those who were killed or went missing during the fighting. Corporal W.T. Hallford, who joined the U.S. Army from Alabama, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 6, as his unit fought Chinese soldiers for control of Pork Chop Hill. No one saw him fall in battle, and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. Conditions on the battlefield prevented a search for him, and the area of his loss later became part of the Demilitarized Zone. Today, Corporal Hallford is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency