Corporal Counts was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 11 November 1950 and died of those wounds on 13 November 1950.

Counts 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 and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.