Sergeant First Class Pickens was a member of the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on 6 February 1951 and died of those wounds on 8 February 1951.

Pickens was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's 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.