Private First Class Gordon was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded in action by the enemy in South Korea on 9 March 1951 and died of those wounds later that day.

Gordon 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.