Captain Pittman was a veteran of World War II, serving with the Army Signal Corps. He had just completed a tour of duty with the 23rd Signal Construction Battalion in Korea, when he became ill and was died on 18 October 1952 at an Army hospital in Japan.

Pittman was awarded 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 and the World War II Victory Medal.