Private First Class Bridger was a member of Company B, 62nd Engineer Construction Battalion, U.S. Army. On 4 July 1952, while driving a jeep he was blinded by dust and bright lights from an oncoming vehicle causing the jeep to go over an embankment near Kapyong, South Korea, killing him.

Bridger was awarded 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.