Corporal Tellez was a member of the 187th Airborne Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on 15 February 1951 and returned to duty the following day. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 23 March 1951.

Tellez was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, 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.