Private First Class Gager was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 4 October 1951 and returned to duty on 1 November 1951. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 5 November 1951.

Gager was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman 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.