Sergeant Pelletier was veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a medic with the Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was wounded in action while tending his wounded comrades in North Korea on 1 December 1950 and died of those wounds later that day.

Pelletier was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Medical Badge, 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.