Private First Class Doherty was a member of Company H, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action during the two day battle for Hill 680, "Bloody Ridge" in North Korea on 12 September 1951.

Doherty was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation, 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.