Initially, Sergeant Graves was a Light Weapons Infantry Leader with the 29th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on 10 September 1950 and returned to duty on 22 September 1950. He was transferred to the 35th Infantry regiment, 25th infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 28 November 1950 and died while a prisoner on 24 March 1951.

Graves was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, 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.