Ward, William D. Jr.
Marines Private 1st class

William D. Jr. Ward from Princeton, West Virginia, Mercer county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Saturday, March 28, 1953
Death details: 

On the night of March 26, 1953, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) attacked three outposts on the Main Line of Resistance (near today’s Demilitarized Zone) manned by the 5th Marine Regiment. The outposts, named Reno, Carson and Vegas, were referred to as the Nevada Cities Hill Complex. After hours of vicious fighting, the badly outnumbered Marines at the Reno and Vegas outposts were overrun by the Communists; however, the Marines at the Carson outpost managed to fend off the attackers. 

Private First Class William Dallas Ward Jr., who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from West Virginia, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He was killed in action on March 28, 1953, during the fighting at Outpost Vegas. Since the outpost was overrun by the enemy and was not retaken by friendly forces at the time, his body could not be recovered. He has not been identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire, and he remains unaccounted for. 

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency