Private First Class Harwell was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on 28 November 1950. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Harwell 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.