Second Lieutenant Shute was a member of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 28 May 1952 when he stepped on an enemy land mine.

For his leadership and valor, Second Lieutenant Shute was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.