Williams, Willie V.
Army Private

Willie V. Williams, age 20, from Ohio, Hamilton 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. Private First Class Willie Vernon Williams, who joined the U.S. Army from Ohio, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on July 6 when Chinese troops attacked and overran his unit’s position on Pork Chop Hill. Conditions on the battlefield prevented the immediate recovery of his body, and the area where he fell was never again controlled by U.S. forces. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Private First Class Williams is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency