Private First Class Hicks was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy at "Triangle Hill", North Korea, on 14 October 1952 during a heavy enemy artillery barrage.

Hicks was awarded 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 and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.