Corporal Acosta was a member of the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy in Korea on 14 August 1952 and died of those wounds two days later.

Acosta 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.