Although he was in the Corps of Engineers, his company fought as infantry soldiers in Korea. He participated in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill and earned a battlefield commission as one of only 14 survivors out of 257 men who made it through the opening stages of the battle.
Despite being part of the Engineers Corps, he fought as an infantry soldier during the Korean War. He participated in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill and was awarded a battlefield commission after surviving alongside only 14 other soldiers out of 257 who made it through the battle's early stages.