Paul Maymon was born in June 1920 and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His father worked with a fabric company until it went out business during the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: the Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States]. His father then found work with the Regal Shoe Company. People would knock on their door begging for food. Maymon was drafted into the Army in 1940 and went to Long Island [Annotator’s Note: Long Island, New York] for induction. He then did his basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 17th Infantry Regiment. After basic, he was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment. He learned every job in the battery, but eventually took on the role of wire sergeant. His battery trained on 155 mm Howitzers [Annotator's Note: M1 155mm howitzer; nicknamed "Long Tom"; heavy field gun]. He was trained to serve on a gun crew as well as running communications wire. Maymon was at Camp Upton, New York when he learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Shortly after the attack, the regiment moved to Camp Blanding, Florida for maneuvers. From Camp Blanding they went to Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. After a short stint there, they moved to New York where much of the regiment boarded the British ship RMS Orcades for overseas deployment in a large convoy. He was kept busy by the constant drills and training he had to do while on the ship. The soldiers slept on hammocks, and the food was good. He became seasick during the trip. Twelve days after shipping out of New York, the RMS Orcades put in at Liverpool, England where the 17th Field Artillery Regiment went ashore. The British were very nice, and he was very friendly to them. Although they were not there long, Maymon enjoyed his time in England despite the cold and wet weather. He was able to visit London [Annotator’s Note: London, England] on a three-day pass [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. To him, it was not much different than being in the United States.

Paul Maymon was training in Perham Downs, England [Annotator’s Note: with the 17th Field Artillery Regiment] before being sent to North Africa. While in England, he saw evidence of bombing from the German air raids. He thought the English had a miraculous spirit and a determination to keep living. The British could easily identify enemy planes. After his training was complete, his regiment boarded a transport and met with a convoy to sail to Oran [Annotator’s Note: Oran, Algeria]. Maymon went ashore and could not believe how much the place looked like his idea of biblical times. The 2nd Battalion was ordered to the front [Annotator’s Note: in February 1943]. While in position at Faid Pass, Tunisia, the battalion was severely mauled by the Germans. The battalion lost all their guns, and many were taken prisoner. It was a humiliating defeat for the Americans. Maymon’s first battle was near El Guettar [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of El Guettar, 23 March to 3 April 1943; El Guettar, Tunsia] in support of the 1st Infantry Division and his battalion took revenge for the 2nd battalion. They kept Rommel [Annotator's Note: German Army Generalfeldmarschall, or Field Marshal, Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel] from leaving North Africa. During the battle, his regiment received dive bombs 14 times. [Annotator’s Note: Clock rings at 0:23:12.000.] Maymon never felt that his regiment would have to retreat because they were so busy firing artillery. The battle lasted about 10 days. He thought the Germans were good soldiers, but they fought defensive battle versus the British and Americans who fought offensive battles. Maymon’s regiment stayed on the line after the battle for a several days attached to the French Foreign Legion. [Annotator’s Note: sound of an airplane 0:29:55.000.]

After the Battle of El Guettar [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of El Guettar, 23 March to 7 April 1943; El Guettar, Tunsia] in the North Africa Campaign, Paul Maymon [Annotator’s Note: with the 17th Field Artillery Regiment] held the line for several days attached to the French Foreign Legion until the Germans surrendered in North Africa. His regiment was then slated to invade Sicily [Annotator’s Note: the Allied invasion of Sicily, code named Operation Husky, 9 July to 17 August 1943; Sicily, Italy]. They began training until it was time to invade. His regiment crossed the Straits of Messina on a large transport. They landed in Gela, Sicily and there was a fear of gas in the air, but it was quickly discovered that it was just the smell of manure. The campaign in Sicily was short, only 38 days. Maymon described the piles of G.I. [Annotator's Note: government issue; also a slang term for an American soldier] bodies and the horrible stench. He also saw bodies floating in the water, which affected him greatly. The fighting was very fierce. The local people threw flowers and cheered for them as they went through the towns. He was able to visit Palermo [Annotator’s Note: Palermo, Sicily, Italy]. The Regiment supported the invasion of Italy by firing in preparation across the Straits of Messina. He described the Italian soldier as a joke, but the Germans were fierce fighters. The Italians were disorganized and totally controlled by the Nazi troops.

After defeating the enemy in Sicily [Annotator’s Note: Sicily, Italy], Paul Maymon [Annotator’s Note: with the 17th Field Artillery Regiment] was ordered to invade mainland Italy [Annotator’s Note: the Allied invasion of Italy, 3 to 17 September 1943]. He entered at Anzio [Annotator’s Note: Anzio, Italy] and the fighting was fierce. He did not think he was going to make it through. Naples [Annotator’s Note: Naples, Italy] was a dirty city. His regiment spent three months at Monte Cassino [Annotator’s Note: Cassino, Italy] firing upon the abbey there. Early in February 1944, the 2nd Battalion was reorganized and reequipped with 8-inch howitzers. When Rome [Annotator’s Note: Rome, Italy] fell, everyone in town celebrated. Maymon and his regiment was able to rest, do maintenance of equipment, and were reassigned to Southern France. Upon arriving in Southern France, his regiment had to move so far inland that a five-day road march was necessary to reach the front lines. During the winter months of 1944 and 1945, both units were active in the bitter fighting through the Voges Mountains and Alsatian plains. The winters were bitterly cold. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:54:29.000.] Trench foot was a big problem among the soldiers. Luckily, Maymon never did get trench foot. His regiment was given new equipment and supplies in Italy before going into France. His impression of the German soldier was as being very proud. During Christmas 1944, he was able to eat a meal that included turkey.

Paul Maymon [Annotator’s Note: with the 17th Field Artillery Regiment] was active in the bitter fighting through the Voges Mountains and Alsatian plains during the winter months of 1944 and 1945. His regiment was constantly moving and advancing which was very difficult at times. His regiment would often get ahead of the infantry. Maymon crossed the Rhine at Mannheim [Annotator’s Note: Mannheim, Germany] and the 2nd Battalion participated in the rapid drive across Germany. They slept in houses as they went through the towns. He thought the Germans were good fighters as well as the Americans and British. On VE-day [Annotator's Note: Victory in Europe Day, 8 May 1945], his battalion was in position near Imst, Austria. The news of Roosevelt’s death [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States who died 12 April 1945] was a great shock to him. After the war ended, his regiment occupied a small vacation village for a short period of time until occupation troops arrived. While there, Maymon was given the role of mayor for a few days and assisted the daughter of a baroness. There was a concentration camp nearby and his regiment had to regulate the prisoners.

Paul Maymon [Annotator’s Note: with the 17th Field Artillery Regiment] occupied a small German village after the war’s end. While he was in Feldafing, Germany, he tried to get some tennis lessons, but it did not work out. [Annotator’s Note: clock dings at 1:17:35.000.] The German population was hungry and always asked for food from the Americans. Maymon could not wait to get home. His regiment was slated to go to the Pacific, but the Japanese surrendered [Annotator's Note: Victory Over Japan Day, 15 August 1945] before they were shipped out. Maymon returned home in December 1945 from Le Havre [Annotator’s Note: Le Havre, France]. He boarded a transport and it took 12 days to return to New York City [Annotator’s Note: New York City, New York]. When he was being shelled in Italy, one shell landed in between him and a friend. He thought the German 88 mm [Annotator's Note: German 88mm multi-purpose artillery] was the best weapon of the war. His reunion with his family was wonderful. He knew he was living in the best country in the world. He never felt that Uncle Sam [Annotator's Note: Uncle Sam is the personification of the United States federal government, typically depicted as an older gentleman sporting a star-spangled top hat and red bow tie] owed him anything. Maymon was discharged as a staff sergeant in New Jersey in December 1945. He benefited from the 52-20 club [Annotator's Note: a government-funded program that paid unemployed veterans 20 dollars per week for 52 weeks] while he looked for a job. He did not have any trouble transitioning back to civilian life and did not suffer from post-traumatic stress.

Paul Maymon had a great experience in World War 2, but would not do it again. He fought because he was drafted. The war changed his life in respect to his feelings toward the government. His is glad he served. He thinks Americans today do not remember the events of World War 2. He is proud of his generation and what they did for America. Maymon believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations.