Corporal David was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy near Sinch-on-ri, South Korea, on 21 May 1951 and died of those wounds on 28 May 1951.

David 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.