Corporal Tucker was a member of Battery B, 63rd Field Artillery Battalion (105MM), 24th Infantry Division. On 14 July 1950, while fighting the enemy along the Kum River near Samgyo-ri, South Korea, the North Koreans over ran Battery B. He was setting up a 30 caliber machine gun to cover his comrades' withdrawal, but was killed before he could return the enemy fire.

Tucker was awarded the Purple Heart, 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.