Private First Class King was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was last seen on 6 August 1952, helping a wounded soldier at the "Iron Triangle" near Nam-myon, North Korea. A search of the area the following day found no trace of him, so he was listed as Missing in Action. He was presumed dead on 16 February 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

King was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman 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.