Private Adams was a member of the 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy along the Pusan Perimeter near Chinju, South Korea, on 2 August 1950.

Adams 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.