West Virginia Korean War soldier laid to rest in Arlington

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - This labor day weekend, U.S. Army Cpl. Paul Mitchem was laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery.

This brought closure to his family after years of uncertainty.

“For me, it’s an honor to tell my story because it’s a true story, it’s a sad story, it’s a heat wrenching story. But it’s a true story. It’s a true story,” said John Acosta, Mitchem’s nephew.

Acosta never knew his uncle, who served in the Korean War.

“I recall as a child, my mother often times and my aunts and uncles would talk about Paul and his going to war and never coming back,” said Acosta. “I was 3 years old when Paul was declared M.I.A.”

He remembers looking at Mitchem’s picture on the wall and wondering who he was.

“I asked the same thing. ‘Who’s that?’ ‘That’s your Uncle Paul.’ ‘And where’s he at?’ ‘Well, he went to war and he never came home.’”

In 2021, Acosta got a phone call he never expected from the U.S. Army Human Resources.

His uncle’s remains were identified.

“I was really taken back by that and when I found out Uncle Paul’s remains had been found and identified and all that, it really impacted me greatly,” Acosta said. “I never thought he would be found, and neither did anyone else in the family.”

Micthem was a resident of Avondale, West Virginia.

Before enlisting in the army in 1948, he worked on his family’s farm and in the coal mines.

He was declared missing in action in 1953, and killed in action 3 years later.

He was buried in the Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu, but after nearly 7 decades, he is now buried in a place of high honor.

“It fell to me to make a decision of disposition of my Uncle Paul’s remains, and I did so,” Acosta said. “I thought long and hard about whether to take him back to McDowell County, to Avondale. He deserves full military honors. So, I decided he would be laid to rest at Arlington.”

The remains flew from Honolulu to Reagan International Airport.

With a flag draped over the coffin, it was escorted to the funeral home and then to Arlington.

After spending years wondering about his uncle, Acosta is grateful to know he is at his final resting place.

“I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me and my family to know that Paul was finally brought home and was given the highest honors that he could be given: buried at Arlington National Cemetery,” said Acosta. “To finally have closure means to much.”

Acosta said his uncle gave the ultimate sacrifice: his life.

He also said he is glad he was the one who received the phone call and planned this funeral service.