Hospital Corpsman Third Class Thorpe was a member of the U.S. Navy serving with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Wounded in Action while tending his wounded comrades and was evacuated to the hospital ship USS Repose (AH-16) where he died on 21 July 1953.

Thorpe 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.