"Here we were in the middle of Germany, with the war over—our job done." (Memoir, page 16)

Paul R. Allen

Studio photograph of Paul R. Allen in uniform, smiling, holding gloves in his hand [detail] War: World War II, 1939-1946 Branch: Army Unit: 386th Infantry Regiment, 97th Infantry Division Service Location: Fort Dix, New Jersey; Camp Swift, Texas; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; San Luis Obispo, California; Camp Cooke, California; European Theater; Central Europe; Rhineland, Germany; Pacific Theater; Japan (occupation) Highest Rank: Technician Four Place of Birth: Moorestown, NJ

Though he was sworn into the Army in February 1943, it was almost two years before Paul Allen shipped out to the war zone. He had expected to go to the Pacific Theater after training in amphibious tactics in California, but the need for men in Europe after the Battle of the Bulge got him a bunk on a ship crossing the Atlantic in January 1945. He saw some action in the war's final days and was in Czechoslovakia on VE Day. Then he was shipped back home to prepare for the invasion of Japan, only to hear of the surrender while he was still in North Carolina. Nevertheless, he did spend five months with the occupying force in Japan.