Sergeant Ernandis was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was injured in South Korea on 10 September 1950 and returned to duty the following day. He was seriously wounded on 10 October 1950 and returned to duty on 28 October 1950. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy near Unsan, North Korea, on 2 November 1950. He was presumed dead on 31 December 1953. His remains were recovered on 5 August 1997 and identified in July 2000. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Ernandis was awarded the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Infantryman's 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.