First Lieutenant Ferree was the pilot of a F-84E Thunderjet fighter with the 111th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 136th Fighter Bomber Wing. On 13 February 1952, while on a combat mission, his engine failed and the aircraft crashed. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 31 December 1953.

Ferree 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.