Hospital Corpsman Second Class Marchese was a member of Company C, 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Marine Division assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while tending his wounded comrades in Korea on 7 December 1950.

Marchese was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, 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.