Sergeant Torigian was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 20 July 1950. He was reportedly murdered in a tunnel near Sunchon, North Korea on 20 October 1950. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Sergeant Torigian was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman 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, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.