Paul James Latendresse was born in Marion, Grant County, Indiana, on 14 July 1932. He was the 13th and last child born to Frances Ellen Kellogg and Frank Joseph Latendresse.

The family moved from Marion, Indiana, to Indianapolis, Indiana, when Paul was ten years old. They lived at 5151 North Meridian for only one year when their father died. They then moved to 4045 North Meridian. Paul finished grade school at St. Joan of Arc and then entered St. Meinard Seminary in St. Meinard, Indiana, for one year. He completed his last three years of high school at Cathedral in Indianapolis.

Paul joined the Marine Corps Reserve shortly after graduating from high school. With only three months of training, he was sent to Korea where he was involved in the initial United Nations forces landing and invasion of North Korea. These troops reached the China border in November 1950, where they unexpectedly encountered Chinese soldiers that had joined with the North Korean Army. The fighting was fierce as these troops were trapped and had to fight their way to retreat. Paul was involved in this battle around the "Chosan Reservoir." It was very cold and the troops were ill equipped. It was during this siege that he suffered frozen feet.

Paul rarely spoke of his experience in Korea. But one day when asked, he related these two stories: He told how women and children were put in the front lines with broken glass bottles hanging from sticks to distract and protect the soldiers from their attackers. The Chinese and North Korean Armies knew the Americans would not shoot at these women and children. Therefore, the initial combat was with bayonets. The second story told how the tent in which he was sleeping was slit open and when he awoke found this his buddy was taken from the tent during the night and killed.

In addition to serving in Korea, Paul also served in Japan until 1952. It was said that when Paul came home from the war, he looked like he had aged ten years.

Upon his return to Indianapolis, Paul began working for a vending machine company. Later, he drove a truck for Stark and Wetzel Meat Company. Paul became a painter by trade and eventually had his own painting company called "P & L (Pryor and Latendresse) Decorating."

He met Nancy Carol Pitsenberger at St. Joan of Arc's C.Y.O., and they married in that parish church on 25 May 1957. Paul and Nancy Carol had eight children: Karen Sue, Paul Mathew, Steven Jerome, Michelle Ann, Mary Catherine, James Patrick, Joanne and Frances Kay.

In 1974, Paul and Nancy Carol seperated. Paul moved to Safety Harbor, Florida. In 1977, the family reunited with Paul in Florida only to return to Indianapolis in September 1980. Paul remained in Florida and died of a heart attack on 9 December 1980. His funeral mass was in St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, and he was buried in Grant Memorial Park Cemetery in Marion, Indiana.



Source:Doris Kathryn Latendresse