Sergeant Hairsine was a machine gun squad leader in Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while recapturing "Outpost Vegas", Korea on 2 April 1953 by an enemy hand grenade.

Hairsine 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.