First Lieutenant Farris was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously Wounded in Action by the enemy in North Korea on 29 August 1951 and died of those wounds on 13 September 1951.

Farris 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.