Sergeant Clary was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member Company C, 89th Medium Tank Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action during the withdrawal from Seoul, South Korea, in the I Corps Sector, west of the city on 2 January 1951.

Clary 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, the European Theater of Operations and the World War II Victory Medal.