Sergeant Fairchild was a medic with the Medical Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while tending his wounded comrades in North Korea on 5 November 1950.

Fairchild was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Medical 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.