Jennings Co. man among first two US soldiers ID'd from Korean War remains

Went missing Nov. 2, 1950

President Trump yesterday identified the remains of a Jennings County man from those released to the U.S. by North Korea.

The president sent out a Tweet on Thursday identifying the recovered remains of two U.S. soldiers who served in the Korean War. One of them was Army Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel of Vernon who was 32 at the time of his disappearance.

Also identified yesterday by the president was 19-year-old Army Private First Class William H. Jones, of Nash County, North Carolina.

McDaniel’s family had already been notified his dog tags were included in the 55 cases of remains. Pentagon officials said those identification tags were the only personal artifacts that could be traced back to an owner included among the cases transferred by the North Koreans.

McDaniel was a medic who also fought in World War II and had been awarded a Bronze Star.

He went missing Nov. 2, 1950, while serving with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment just southwest of the North Korean village of Unsan, according to DPAA. Another member of his unit, after McDaniel could not be found, reported McDaniel was believed to have been killed in action while fighting against Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces.

He left behind two sons, Charles McDaniel Jr. and Larry McDaniel, who were both younger than 3 years old, when he went missing. McDaniel Jr. would go on to serve in the Army as a chaplain while Larry McDaniel worked in athletics.