First Lieutenant Tomlinson was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on 28 May 1951 and returned to duty on 11 June 1951. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 15 September 1951.

Tomlinson 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.