Tatum, Paul, LTC

Major Tatum was born in Prattville Alabama in 1932, at 15 he left home and joined the US Army.  There was little or no background checks at that time and the recruiters signed anyone who appeared of age.  After completing basic training he was assigned  to Ft Knox Ky as a wheel vehicle mechanic.   In July of 1950 he was ordered to Korea  arriving in country by air in time for the Pusan break out.  Once there, he was immediately reclassified an infantryman.  When the call for volunteers went out to Join the 8213th Ranger Co (8th Army Ranger Co) under the cmd of Lt Ralph Puckett he and another man in his PLT volunteered and were accepted.   When the Company was disbanded in the spring of 1951 he was assigned to K co 27th INF (wolfhounds) 25th INF Division.   He was wounded a second time and sent home in 1952.  After being released from the hospital, he was sent to Camp Polk, Lousiana where he was the 1st SGT of an Artillery Battery.   Not wanting to stay at Camp Polk, he took leave and reported to Ft Benning.  In order not to return to CP Polk he volunteer for ranger school.  His class TAC was Cpt "Bull" Simons, it was also the 1st class to be awarded the Black and Gold ranger tab.  He attended the 11th Abn Div jump school at Fort Campbell Ky.  Our family "Gyro" to Cp Chickamauga Japan with the 508th RCT, after a year we returned to the States due to a health problem concerning a family member.  He was again, assigned to Fort Campbell and remained there until he attended OCS and graduated as the Distinguished graduate of his class.  Upon receiving his commission, he was posted to Fort Jackson, SC where he served as a Company Commander.  In 1961 he was assigned to Ft Wainwright Alaska and served there for 3 years, 2 years as the Commander Of B co 47th INF.  In 1964 he was assigned to the 3rd Army recruiting CMD, first in Knoxville TN, then later Nashville.   He volunteered for Vietnam and received orders to the 5th SF GRP, on arrival in country he was reassigned to the 1st INF Div, 1/16th INF as a Company CDR, on his promotion to Major he was made the BN's S3.  When his tour was completed he was posted to Ft Benning as the XO of the 4th STU BN (ABN), the Airborne School.  He then attended the Special Operation Course, his room mate was MG, then, Major Mike Speigelmyers, later of the JFK Center.  After completion of the school he was again sent to VN, this time as the Senior District Advisor for Tay Ninh Province.  In Aug 1970 he was assigned to the Ranger DPT as the School's OPN OFF and retired out of the DPT in Jul 1972.

He spent the next 23 years as a teacher, medically retiring in 1995 after being diagnosed with leukemia.   He received his Masters in Education from Troy State in 1990 and was working towards his Doctorate in Education when he succumbed to the disease and passed away in 1996.