Corporal Young was a member of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 26 May 1951 and returned to duty on 29 May 1951. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 17 October 1951.

Young was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, 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.