First Lieutenant Helm was the pilot of a LT-6G Mosquito control aircraft with the 6148th Tactical Air Control Squadron, 6147th Tactical Air Control Group. On 9 July 1953, he crashed on take-off on a combat mission from Chunchon Air Base (K-47), South Korea, near the Nam Chong River.

Helm was awarded the Purple Heart, 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.