Captain Owens was the pilot of a F-84E Thunderjet fighter with the 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing. On 16 March 1952, while on a combat mission, his aircraft received a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire, burst into flames and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Captain Owens was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, 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.