Baumgartner, Paul J.

PAUL JOSEPH BAUMGARTNER

SEAMAN 1st CLASS
U.S. NAVY

Paul J Baumgartner was born on May 2, 1922. His parents, Emil and Minnie had 3 other children;  Harry, Charles, and Florence. They lived in Decatur at 803 Russell Street until 1932 when the family moved to Cass Street in Fort Wayne where his dad worked for Berghoff Brewing Corporation. Paul graduated in 1940 from North Side High School in Fort Wayne and was on the basketball team his sophomore through senior years along with being in the Letterman’s club. He got married to Phyllis Troutman on August 21st, 1942 and had one son, Michael. 

Paul entered active duty service with the Navy from the Navy Reserves on June 30th, 1942 and obtained the rank of  Seaman 1st Class. After initial duty at Bunker Hill Naval Air Station (now Grissom Air Reserve Base) in Kokomo Indiana, Seaman 1st Class Baumgartner was assigned to the USS Aulick (DD-569) in April 1944. 

The USS Aulick was a Fletcher-class Destroyer launched in March, 1942 out of Texas.  was assigned antisubmarine patrol stationed in the Leyte Gulf. On board the Aulick, Baumgartner and crew supported the island hopping campaign in the Pacific through antisubmarine screening, providing fire support during the troop landings on Peleliu and Anguar, and eventually by providing close fire support with troop landings in the Philippines in October 1944. 

On November 25, 1944 the USS Aulick was conducting antisubmarine patrol in what would become the Battle of Leyte Gulf when it was attacked by six Japanese planes. After striking the ships bridge, one aircraft in a kamikaze attack, crashed and exploded near the bow of the ship. The explosion killed 31 men and injured 64 others.

Paul Joseph Baumgartner was injured in the attack on November 25 and later succumbed to his injuries on November 29th, 1944. His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

For his service and sacrifice, Seaman First Class Baumgartner was awarded the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Purple Heart, and the WWII Victory Medal. 

Information researched and collected by Logan Watt (2022), and Delaney Lawson (2023).

SOURCES

Ancestry.com (2022). Paul Baumgartner. Retrieved from.https://www.ancestry.com/dna/?ptaid=pla-&prod=141&ancid=yplb72vjcr&s_kwcid=ancestry&gclid=CI2O092RjPwCFXuPxQIdb8wHIw&gclsrc=ds&o_xid=115333&o_lid=115333&o_sch=Affiliate+External

The United States Navy Memorial, (2022). Paul Baumgartner. Retrieved from

http://navylog.navymemorial.org/baumgartner-paul

Destroyer Military Foundation, (2000-2022). USS Aulick. Retrieved from

https://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/desron23/index.asp?r=4230&pid=4231

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