Private First Class Priest was a member of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy during the IX Corps advance to the "Wyoming Line" in North Korea on 11 June 1951.

Priest 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.