Corporal Perez was a member of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by an enemy missile in North Korea on 14 September 1951 and died of those wounds on 17 September 1951.

Perez was awarded the Purple Heart, 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.