Fred P. "Paul" Dallas

Fred Pauldee “Paul” Dallas passed away on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at The Greens at Pinehurst. He was born on July 2, 1924 in Neshoba County, Mississippi, the son of Fred Preston Dallas and Maudie Iona Threatt Dallas.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents and four siblings.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife of 45 years, Doris Cole Dallas; four sons, Dudley Dallas, Gerald (Debi) Dallas, David Dallas, and Joe (Vicki) Dumas; one daughter, Anne Plutt; nine grandchildren; four great grandchildren, and three siblings.

He was an active member of Trinity Methodist Church and the 71st Ruritan Club in Fayetteville. Paul was a loving husband, doting father and grandfather and enjoyed spending time with his family. He had a passion for helping others and his integrity is the legacy he left behind. Paul was loved by many and will be missed by all whose lives he touched..

The following  Autobiographical Military Sketch was written by Paul on August 28, 2008:

Paul served in the United States Army during World War II, from November 1943 through November 1945.  He was sent to Italy when he joined 45th Infantry Division, which was one of the three Army Divisions that made the invasion of Southern France on August 15, 1944.

On November 28, 1944, after more than three months in combat as a rifleman and squad leader, Paul was captured near Mulhouse, France.  He was held in POW Camps in Germany for six months.  Four- and one-half months was spent in a forced labor camp.  He was liberated by the Russian Army and was sent to Russia for a brief period of time and then was returned to Germany.  He was repatriated to the US Army on May 20, 1945.  He then spent 6 ½ months in the U.S. Army Hospitals before being discharged with a Disability discharge.

Dallas received several awards for his military service including the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Good Conduct Medal and the POW Medal.

After his discharge from the Army he entered school at Mississippi State University where he received a B.S. Degree in Business Administration.  He relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina where he held the position of Assistant Manager for the Public Works Commission of the City of Fayetteville until April 1975, when he accepted a position with Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation as District Manager.

Paul has been an active member of the American-Ex-Prisoners of War Organization for more than 25 years.  He served in the following offices:

• Four years as Chapter Commander of the Greater Fayetteville Chapter # 1.
• Four years as Commander of the Department of North Carolina American Ex-Prisoners of War.
• Four years on the North Carolina Governor’s Advisory Committee for Veterans Affairs.
• Two years as National Director, one year as National Junior Vice Commander, one year as National Senior Vice Commander and was elected National Commander of the American Ex-Prisoners of War organization on October 2, 2003 and served one year as National Commander.
• He then served one year as Senior Director on the National Board of Directors of American Ex-Prisoners of War organization.
• In September 2005, Dallas accepted an appointment to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Ex-Prisoners of War National Service Foundation and was appointed Vice-President in 2006.  He is now serving as President of the Military Ex-Prisoners of War Foundation.

During 1998, Paul received accreditation from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., as a National American Ex-Prisoners of War Service Officer.  He has presented several hundred successful claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits for veterans and widows.

We would like to add one final note to Paul's Military Sketch:

Paul was awarded the French Legion of Honor on March 15, 2019, unfortunately he did not 'receive' the medal until after he passed.

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