Major McNees was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was the pilot of a F-80C Shooting Star fighter-interceptor with the 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter Bomber Group. On 18 July 1950 he crashed northwest of Mungyong, South Korea.

McNees was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.