Sergeant Nordyke was a medic with Headquarters Company, 7th Medical Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while tending his wounded comrades in Korea on 28 November 1950 and died while a prisoner on 6 July 1951. His remains were not recovered.

Nordyke was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Medical Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, 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.