First Lieutenant Wells was the navigator of a B-26B Invader bomber with the 8th Bomber Squadron, 3rd Bomber Group. On 5 April 1951, while on a night intruder mission, contact was lost with his aircraft in the Kunu-ri, Sinanju and Pyongyang area. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 31 December 1953. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, First Lieutenant Wells was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, 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.