Corporal West was a member of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in Korea on 19 December 1950 and died of those wounds the following day. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Corporal West was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman 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.