Photo By Staff Sgt. James Bunn | Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord wish Carl Paul, a World War II Veteran and...... read more read more
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By Sgt. James J. Bunn
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
LAKEWOOD, Wash.- At 101-years old, Carl Paul, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, has had his share of life experiences. During his birthday celebration Jan. 15 at the Veterans Affairs American Lake Campus, Blind Rehabilitation Center, in Lakewood, Wash., the World War II veteran reflected on some of those experiences.
While working at a logging camp in 1942, the then 29-year old Carl was not concerned about going to war until the day he received a draft notice. On March 18, he left his job and enlisted in the Army at Fort Lewis, Wash. to fight on the battlegrounds of Europe.
“When I held up my right hand and said ‘I do’ there was an airborne recruiter there,” Carl said. “He gave a speech and asked for volunteers. I stood up, looked around the room and everybody else was sitting down.”
Volunteering to become one of the early paratroopers in the Army brought a sense of pride to Carl.
“You had a better quality of men (in the airborne) than you did in the regular Army,” Carl said. “It was a pride that could not be explained.”
In July 1942, after completing Basic Training and Airborne School, Carl joined F Company, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division and was off to the European theater.
While assigned to the 82nd he jumped in to Sicily the first airborne combat operation ever conducted by the U.S. Army. Following Sicily, he participated in the second combat jump in Salerno.
On June 6, 1944, after surviving the first two airborne operations Carl jumped into Normandy with the rest of the division as part of Operation Overlord. Here Carl faced some of the toughest fighting of the war. During the fighting in France, the division saw 33 days of continuous combat and more than 5,000 paratroopers lost their lives.
Shortly after the invasion of Normandy, Carl jumped into Holland on Sept. 17, 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden. It was the last combat jump of the war and should have ended fighting in Europe. However, due to heavy German defenses, the war would go on until the spring of 1945.
Although he faced some of the harshest fighting conditions in WWII, Carl found the love of his life.
While his unit was waiting in England for the Normandy Invasion to kickoff, Carl met his wife Vera. They could not marry until later in the war because he was only in England for a short time. Between the fighting in Normandy and Holland, he was able to get 10 days of leave to get married. After the wedding, the newlyweds would have to wait more than a year before they saw each other again.
After the war, Carl started actively working with veteran groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the 82nd Airborne Association. He joined the VFW in 1950 and served in almost every leadership role he could. At one of the conventions, he reunited with some of the paratroopers he served with during the war.
“I was at a VFW convention and there was an airborne convention going on in the same town at the same time,” Carl said. “I went over and ran into some people I knew. I found out that there had never been a chapter (of the 82nd Association) west of the Mississippi. So, I started one right there at the convention.”
For 23 years, Carl and Vera hosted a weeklong potluck that was open to all the 82nd Airborne Association members at his ranch in Montana. They also started other chapters in the western United State because Carl felt like it was something he had to do so future paratroopers could stay connected.
“It was my life for a long time, and I enjoyed it,” Carl said. “My wife was an extrovert and I am an introvert, so she would make all the friends and bring them in and then they would become my friends.”
At his birthday party, Carl celebrated his life with service members, past and present. He attributes his longevity to never using tobacco or alcohol and having good genes.
“I’m in a lot better shape than some 60 year olds,” Carl said. “I still have a lot of life left.”
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2014 14:10 |
| Story ID: | 120286 |
| Location: | LAKEWOOD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 722 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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