Navy Hospitalman Brewer was a medic attached to Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action by shell fragments while tending his wounded comrades in Korea on 20 November 1952.

Brewer was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, 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.