Fireman (E2) McKinney served aboard the repair ship USS Ajax (AR-6). On 30 November 1952, his ship was alongside the oiler USS Ashtabula (AO-51) in Sasebo Harbor, Japan, when an arc welder set off a great explosion on the oiler killing him.

McKinney was awarded 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.