Corporal Harrel was a member of the U.S. Army serving in Korea. He was returning from his tour in Korea in a C-46 Commando transport enroute from Seattle, Washington to Columbia, South Carolina, when it crashed near Bear Lake, 28 miles northeast of Logan, Utah on 7 January 1953 killing all on board.

Harrel was awarded 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.