Paul was inducted into the Army on April 13, 1942, at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He was sent to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts for training with the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, 531st Engineer Shore Regiment. They sailed from New York Port of Embarkation for Glasgow, Scotland on August 5, 1942 to participate in Operation Sledgehammer, which was not conducted. The regiment departed Glasgow on October 22, 1942 for North Africa. On November 8, 1942 they assaulted Arzew, Algeria in North Africa then moved to Zeralda, Algeria in June 1943. After participating in the invasion of Gela, Sicily on July 10, 1943, they returned to Damesne, Algeria on August 26, 1943. On September 9, 1943 the regiment invaded Salerno, Italy. On November 18, 1943 the 531st traveled from Naples, Italy returning to England on December 12, 1943 in preparation of the Normandy invasion. They participated in the D-Day landings June 6, 1944 on Utah Beach and operated the Utah Beach Command until October 1944. The 531st Engineer Shore Regiment was disbanded August 2, 1944 and Paul was transferred to the 3051st Engineer Combat Battalion. The Battalion participated in the Rhineland campaign during the winter of 1944 and 1945. Paul Victor Branam married Margaret Stewart McDonald in Irvine, Scotland on February 27, 1945. Margaret traveled to the United States in the summer of 1946 on the Queen Mary. Paul was discharged June 27, 1945 at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He returned to Holton, Kansas where they resided until his death in 2002. Paul was awarded; Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with Arrow Head, 3 bronze service stars and 1 silver service star, World War II Victory Medal and French War Cross (Croix de Guerre) with Palm.