Private First Class Hagerty was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He suffered appendicitis and malaria near Chang Yong, Korea, and died on 15 August 1950.

Hagerty was awarded 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.