Paul Ybarra

Birthplace: Wellington, KS

Branch of Service: Army

Unit: Company G, 8th Infantry Regimen

Theater of Operation: European

Battle: Battle of the Bulge

Enlisted / Commissioned: Nov 4, 1945

Highest Rank: PFC

Military Honors: Purple Heart with Oak clusters, EAME ribbon with 3 Bronze stars

Honored By: The Ybarra Family

Paul Ybarra was born in Wellington, Kansas, on June 25, 1925, one of twelve children. He attended school until seventh grade and was drafted at age 18.

Basic training was in Tyler, Texas, until deployment to Europe. Ybarra arrived in England sometime in May 1944, and began preparing for combat, but he was not told of the big operation planned for June 6. Ybarra recalls being awaken early on June 6 and loaded into a boat to cross the English channel. He was unsure of the beach he landed on, but his unit received little, if any, resistance. They patrolled the beach until ordered to push through the line and continue on into France.

In his video, Ybarra talks about the accidental bombing from American pilots due to the smoke laid as targets being blown by the wind. Part of his unit was taken out with these bombs. Ybarra and his unit marched through France to Paris. Ybarra engaged in the Battle of the Bulge that winter and continued fighting until the end of the war. Ybarra was wounded twice but returned to battle each time.

After the war, Ybarra returned to Wellington and worked for the railroad. He earned his GED, married, and had four children.