Private First Class Rhodes was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy near Takpau, North Korea on 20 October 1951 and died of those wounds later that day.

Rhodes 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.