Sergeant Blanchard was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Headquarters Battery, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy near Kunu-ri, North Korea, on 30 November 1950. He was presumed dead on 31 December 1953. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Blanchard was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.