Private First Class Herrera was a member of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On 24 February 1951, he was standing by a fire in a can when it blew up causing a fragment to hit his neck.

Herrera 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.