Private First Class Ragland was a member of the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 18 April 1953 and died of those wounds the following day.

Ragland 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.