Corporal William James McCollum was born June 19, 1931, in Anderson, SC. Known as Billy, by his family and friends, he was a son of the late Hattie Jane McCollum and the late Lonnie Adolphus McCollum. On January 27, 1949, at the age of 17, Billy McCollum was inducted into the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC. On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began and Corporal McCollum was transferred to the battle grounds. Corporal McCollum was a member of Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team. In November 1950, his unit reached the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea and endured repeated attacks from the Chinese People's Volunteer Forces before withdrawing on December 1. Following the regrouping of his unit, Corporal McCollum could not be located and on December 2, 1950, was reported as missing in action. It was not until December 31, 1953, that he was declared dead, with his family receiving an Army telegram. The location of his body, however, was unknown. As decades passed, Corporal McCollum's family still hoped his remains would be returned home. On July 27, 2018, following the summit between President Donald J. Trump and Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un, an agreement was reached to return 55 boxes of remains to the USA. The boxes were believed to contain the remains of American soldiers killed during the Chosin Reservoir Battle in November 1950. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on August 1, 2018, and were sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory for identification. Corporal William James McCollum's remains were identified and accounted for on September 11, 2019. Finally, after 71 years, Corporal McCollum was coming home. Surviving Corporal McCollum are his sisters, Mary McCollum Lawson, of Advance, NC, and Frankie McCollum Cain, of Hartwell, GA. Those that have joined him in Heaven are, his parents, brothers, Edward A. McCollum and Charles D. McCollum and sister, Virginia McCollum Coker. Corporal McCollum will lie in state on Thursday, June 17, 2021, and Friday, June 18, 2021, from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm each day at The McDougald Funeral Home. The funeral service, with military honors, will be held at M.J. Dolly Cooper Veterans Cemetery on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 1 pm. To honor the supreme sacrifice Corporal McCollum made for our country and our freedom, the family has asked memorials to be made in his name to Belton Memorial Veterans Park, c/o Jack Kay, 510 Forest Lane, Belton, SC. Events Graveside Saturday, June 19, 2021 1:00PM M.J. 'Dolly' Cooper Veterans Cemetery 140 Inway Drive Anderson, SC 29621 Phone: 864-332-8022 Final Resting Place M.J. 'Dolly' Cooper Veterans Cemetery 140 Inway Drive Anderson, SC 29621