Sergeant Mathew was a decorated veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy north of the Anju River, North Korea on November 28, 1950. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.