Private McAbee was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. On 7 March 1953, as he was preparing for an evening patrol at his platoon command post near Chohanggol, North Korea, it was hit by an enemy artillery shell killing him.

McAbee 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.