Army Sgt Julius Ellis McKinney, 23 of Clay, Arkansas, accounted for on March 5, 2018, will be returned to his family on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 for burial on Friday, June 8, 2018 at Corinth National Cemetery after 67 years. Funeral service with military honors is set for June 8, 2018 at 11:00am at Magnolia Funeral Home Chapel of Memories. Visitation will be on Thursday, June 7, 2018 from 6:00pm -9:00pm at Magnolia Funeral Home. Born February 1, 1927 in Brilliant, AL., Julius McKinney better known to his family as “Junior” enlisted in the US Army on December 10, 1948 in Piggott, AR at the age of 21. In late November 1950, McKinney and his regiment was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when they were attacked by an overwhelming number of Chinese troops. Junior was reported missing in action on December 2, 1950, after he was last seen on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir. His name did not appear on any prisoner of war list and no returning Americans reported him as Prisoner of War. Due to the prolonged lack of evidence, the U.S. Army declared him non-recoverable on January 16, 1956. In 2004 a recovery operation was conducted in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, to identify Junior, scientists used mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA analysis which matched his family and anthropological analysis , which matched his records. On May 1, 2018 a meeting was held at Magnolia Funeral Home to discuss the findings and plan the funeral for SGT. Julius “Junior” Ellis McKinney. Junior is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and other relatives. He is preceded in death by his father, Enoch McKinney; mother, Dora McKinney Schwartz; brothers, LT COL Walter Harvey McKinney, Ulysses Steven McKinney and Charles Dee McKinney; and his sisters, Gladys Mae Farmer, Esther Irene Addison, Ethel Garner Tatum, Mary Etta Wayne and Effie Merle Carter. The U.S. Military will serve as pallbearers. Bro. Bill Wages and Bro. Warren Jones will officiate the service. Magnolia Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of SGT Julius “Junior” Ellis McKinney.
