Sergeant Paulson was a member of the 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while attacking the enemy in the "Punchbowl" area of North Korea on 28 September 1951.

Paulson was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, 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.