Corporal Kafer was a member of the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by an enemy missile in South Korea on 16 February 1951 and died of those wounds later that day.

Kafer 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.