Private First Class Niewald was a Light Weapons Infantryman with the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on 30 January 1951 and died of those wounds on 2 February 1951.

Niewald was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, 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.