Corporal Jursch was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. He was wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 9 February 1952 and returned to duty on 12 February 1952. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 14 June 1952. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Corporal Jursch was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, 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.