Private First Class Rapps was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded in action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 20 May 1951 and died of those wounds later that day.

Rapps 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.