Private First Class Eaton was a member of Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy north of Inje, South Korea, on 11 September 1951.

Eaton was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, 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.