Sergeant Bass was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy near Chindong-ni, South Korea, on 1 September 1950.

Bass was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Korean War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.