An official website of the United States government         Here's how you know         
**Official websites use .mil**
A **.mil** website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
**Secure .mil websites use HTTPS**
 A **lock (lock )** or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content (Press Enter).

Defense POW/MIA Accounting AgencyFulfilling Our Nation's Promise

Search
Search

Search

              - 
              - 
              - 

-  Home		 
-  Families		 
-  Our Missing    -  Searchable List of the Missing             
  -  Searchable Map of the Missing             
  -  Recently Accounted For             
  -  World War II      -  World War II Summary             
    -  Battle of Tarawa             
    -  Attack on Pearl Harbor 
  -  Korean War      -  Korean War Summary             
    -  Battle of Chosin Reservoir             
    -  Battle of Unsan             
    -  Korean Air Battles             
    -  The Inchon Campaign             
    -  The Pusan Perimeter             
    -  The DMZ Campaigns             
    -  Korean War Disinterments             
    -  Operation Glory             
    -  POW Camps 
  -  Vietnam War      -  Vietnam War Summary             
    -  Vietnam War Identification Project             
    -  Tet Offensive             
    -  Battle of Khe Sanh             
    -  Mayaguez Incident             
    -  Battle of Ia Drang             
    -  Lam Son 
  -  Cold War             
  -  Gulf Wars & Libya             
  -  Unknowns 
-  News & Stories    -  Our Stories             
  -  Press Releases             
  -  DPAA In The News             
  -  Year In Review 
-  Multimedia    -  Livestreams             
  -  Podcast             
  -  Briefing Videos             
  -  Science Videos             
  -  DPAA Laboratory             
  -  Media Gallery 
-  Resources    -  FAQs             
  -  AFMES DNA Laboratory             
  -  Publicly Released Documents             
  -  Family/VSO Update Notes             
  -  Family Member Guide             
  -  POW/MIA Day Toolkit             
  -  USRJC 
-  About    -  Leadership             
  -  Vision-Mission-Values             
  -  DPAA Organizational Chart 
-  Contact    -  Contact Us             
  -  Join Us      -  Careers 
  -  Report a Site             
  -  Donate to the Mission 
-  Volunteer		 

## News Release

# Soldier Missing From Korean War Identified (Williams)

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced todaythat the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have beenidentified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Sgt. Chester L. Williams, 32, Conneaut Lake, Pa., will be buried Sept. 30, inMeadville, Pa. In late November 1950, Williams and elements of the 31st Regimental CombatTeam, known as “Task Force Faith,” were advancing along the eastern banks of the ChosinReservoir, in North Korea. After coming under attack, they began a fighting withdrawal topositions near Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. During this withdrawal Williams went missing.

In 1953, returning Americans who had been held as prisoners of war reported thatWilliams had been captured by Chinese forces and died shortly thereafter as a result of exposureto the elements.

Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remainsbelieved to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents,turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recoveredfrom the area where Williams was last seen.

In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA AccountingCommand (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) usedcircumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as radiograph, dental records andmitochondrial DNA–which matched Williams’ nephew and grand nephew.

Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that werepreviously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remainunaccounted for from the Korean War.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missingAmericans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

**                    SHARE                

**                    PRINT