Corporal Bly was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded when his jeep ran over an enemy land mine near Masan-Dong, North Korea on 16 November 1950 and died of those wounds on 22 November 1950.

Bly was awarded 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, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal (Japan).