Sergeant Garner was a member of Company D, 72nd Medium Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. While serving as a tank commander, he was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy during the 8th Army breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, South Korea, on 16 September 1950.

Garner 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.