Private Abbott was an 81mm Mortar Gunner in Company H, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was captured, bound and murdered at Hill 303 near Chorwon in the Pusan Perimeter in South Korea on 17 August 1950.

Abbott 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.