Master Sergeant Head was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Headquarters Battery, the 49th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 11 February 1951 and died while a prisoner on 30 April 1951.

His remains were recovered on 23 December 1993 and identified on 27 May 2010. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Master Sergeant Head was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Prisoner of War Medal, 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 and the World War II Victory Medal.