Corporal McCaul was a member of the 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy near Kunu-ri, North Korea, on 29 November 1950 and returned to duty on 1 December 1950. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 12 February 1951 and died while a prisoner on 28 May 1951.

McCaul was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, 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.