Sergeant Lee was a member of the 58th Counter Fire Platoon, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On 6 September 1951, he was fighting a delaying action in support of Company C, 7th Cavalry Regiment from Hill 339 to Hill 321 in the Chorwon Valley of North Korea. He was declared Missing in Action and presumed dead on 31 December 1953. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Lee 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.