Corporal Griffin was a Naval veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 187th Airborne Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was dropped behind enemy lines near Musan-ni, South Korea, on 23 March 1951 as a part of an airborne assault to block 20,000 Chinese troops. His mission was accomplished but he was Killed in Action during the fighting on 25 March 1951.

Griffin was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, 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 Parachute Insignia, the Combat Action Ribbon, the European Theater Medal, the Asia-Pacific Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.