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Corporal Paul Norman Tremblay

A black and white headshot image of a young man looking directly into the camera. He is wearing a suit and tie and is smiling.
  • Unit: Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division
  • Service Number: 11189710
  • Date of Birth: June 14, 1930
  • Entered the Military: February 17, 1949
  • Date of Death: December 1, 1950
  • Hometown: Methuen, Massachusetts
  • Place of Death: Chosin Reservoir, North Korea
  • Award(s): Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal
  • Cemetery: Court 8, Courts of the Missing. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Contributed by Dr. Christopher Beckvold
Winthrop Middle School, Winthrop, Massachusetts
2025/2026

Early Life

Paul Norman Tremblay was born on June 14, 1930, in Methuen, Massachusetts. According to his high school senior biography, Tremblay also used the name Norman Paul Tremblay. Throughout his early life, he lived on 17 Glen Avenue in Methuen with his siblings, Charles and Rose Marie (married name: Forcier). His mother, Marie Sophie Goguen Tremblay, was Canadian and worked as a mender. Tremblay’s father, Joseph Paul Tremblay, was a carpenter. 

Prior to high school, Tremblay attended St. Theresa’s Catholic Parochial School, which served the local French-Canadian population. 

Afterward, he attended Lawrence Central Catholic High School. During his sophomore year, Tremblay joined the junior varsity football team. As a junior and senior, he played for the varsity team. Tremblay’s classmates seemed to like him because of the good-natured practical jokes they played on him in school. For instance, his friends, Fritschy and Middleton, always seemed to eat his cake at lunch before he could get to it. Upon graduating from high school, Tremblay planned to join the United States military.

A portion of the handwritten census record, showing Paul, his siblings, and his parents.
The 1940 Census shows Tremblay’s family. His father is listed as a carpenter, and his mother is listed as a mender. National Archives and Records Administration.
A typewritten yearbook entry showing Tremblay’s address, sports involvement, and inside jokes with classmates.
Tremblay’s entry from the 1948 Lawrence Central Catholic High School yearbook shows he played football and was a well-liked classmate. National Archives and Records Administration.

Homefront

Methuen, Massachusetts, was an old mill town in the Boston suburbs. While the community was not largely involved in wartime agriculture or food production, it was interested in developments in China, the Soviet Union, and on the Korean Peninsula. The Methuen Transcript ran articles about these places daily. Several stories in the newspaper discussed the military achievements of Methuen’s citizens, reflecting a pride in the town’s active service members.

The Korean War did not cause Methuen extreme economic growth or strain. However, the newspaper advertisements indicated that people were doing well. Several newspaper advertisements featured luxury goods, such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, and ready-made foods like Kool-Aid and Rice Krispies.

The community showed no signs of tension over the war, but there was skepticism regarding leadership and the United States’ prospects for success. The Methuen Transcript also highlighted people’s mild concern, yet amusement, regarding atomic weapons. On December 15, 1950, the paper reported that children’s Christmas toys reflected a growing interest in atomic energy and military weapons.  

A map of North Korea titled, “Chinese Delegation Charges U.S. with Aggression in Korea, China; U.N. Forces face Defeat in Korea.”
A map in the December 15, 1950, edition of The Methuen Transcript shows the current situation of the war. Digital Archives, Nevins Memorial Library.
A newspaper article titled, “Toys for Christmas Feature ‘Atomic’ Sets, Reflect Sciences, Arts.” Also shows an image of a child playing with one of the sets.
An article in the December 15, 1950, edition of The Methuen Transcript highlights atomic-themed Christmas toys. Digital Archives, Nevins Memorial Library.

Military Experience

Training

Tremblay enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 17, 1949, after graduating from Lawrence Central Catholic High School. After enlisting, Tremblay completed training at various military stations. From February 17 until April 26, 1949, he was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Afterward, he trained at Fort Eustis, Virginia, and was then transferred to Camp Stoneman, California, on September 1, 1949. This was a brief stay, only lasting until September 9, 1949. 

Overseas

Military records contain a gap in the information between September 9, 1949, and his entry into the 31st Infantry at Hokkaido, Japan. While in Hokkaido, Tremblay continued to train with the 31st Infantry until September 11, 1950.

By the time the Korean War broke out, Tremblay had advanced to the rank of corporal. The Army assigned him as a “light weapons infantryman” in Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment,  7th Infantry Division.  

The regiment departed Japan on September 11, 1950, and landed at Incheon, Korea (now South Korea), on September 16, 1950. From there, the 31st Infantry Regiment served as a barrier at Suwon, preventing North Korean troops from attacking Seoul. From September 26 to 28, the unit helped clear the Suwon-Osan corridor of North Korean troops.

From there, the 31st Infantry Regiment departed from Pusan and spent most of October 1950 fighting at Iwon, North Korea. In early November 1950, Tremblay’s regiment repulsed Chinese forces around the Pujon Reservoir.  

Task Force Faith

Later that month, Tremblay joined the Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which participated in “Task Force Faith” (named after Lieutenant Colonel Don C. Faith). By December 1, 1950, Chinese forces cut off Tremblay’s unit from the U.S. Marines and a tank company along the Chosin Reservoir. Tremblay aided the wounded while the RCT attempted to escape from Chinese forces and join the U.S. Marines at Hagaru-ri, North Korea. 

During the mission, Tremblay was shot once through the throat and died. Some of Tremblay’s RCT returned to the U.S. lines. After the campaign, the U.S. Army awarded his unit the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions.

A typewritten card with information about Tremblay, including his date of death, date of birth, and address.
Paul Norman Tremblay’s Service Record Card, 1950. Veterans Services, City of Methuen, Massachusetts.
A black and white image of soldiers covering their ears while 75mm guns are going off.
The 31st Infantry Regiment in action near the Korean village of Oetlook-tong, June 9, 1951. The Army Historical Foundation.

Commemoration

Recovery teams never recovered Corporal Tremblay’s remains. Chinese forces had taken over his unit’s position at the Chosin Reservoir, which was part of North Korea. 

On July 11, 2003, Gary Forcier, Tremblay’s nephew, wrote to U.S. Senators John Sununu, Judd Gregg, and John Kerry on behalf of Tremblay’s siblings, Rosemary (Tremblay) Forcier and Charles Tremblay. Gary Forcier asked the senators to advocate for North Korea “. . . to open their borders to teams of Americans to conduct thorough search and recovery operations for the remains of MIAs and KIAs, unfettered.” 

Forcier included his uncle’s Official Military Personnel File and a hand-drawn map of the Chosin Reservoir that showed his uncle’s approximate burial location. He hoped to bring his uncle’s remains and those of other service members home. Despite decades of efforts, Tremblay’s family has not been able to bring his remains home for burial. Consequently, Court 8 of the Courts of the Missing memorializes Tremblay at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

A black and white map showing the 7th Infantry Division’s location east of the reservoir. There are arrows pointing to probable burial sites.
Map of the Chosin Reservoir (North Korea) and Tremblay’s alleged burial place. National Archives and Records Administration.
A photograph of names engraved on a wall. Tremblay is the third from the bottom.
Paul Norman Tremblay’s name on the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, 2026. American Battle Monuments Commission.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“Chinese Delegation Charges U.S. With Aggression in Korea, China; U.N. Forces Face Defeat in Korea” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], December 15, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“Local Man Awarded Military Ribbon In Korea.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], January 16, 1953. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

Massachusetts. Methuen, Essex County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestry.com.

Paul Norman Tremblay Information Card. Veterans Services, City of Methuen, Massachusetts. 

Paul Norman Tremblay, Report of Death, Department of the Army, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Paul Norman Tremblay. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. https://ancestry.com.

“Record Detail for Tremblay, Paul Norman (31454555),” Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938–1946 (Enlistment Records), Record Group 64, National Archives and Records Administration. https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=2512&rid=33057.

“Reds Make New Advance in Korea; Living Costs Continue to Climb Truman Asks Mobilization Steps.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], August 11, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“Robert Arnfield Fires On Commies In Korea.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], January 16, 1953. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“Toys for Christmas Feature ‘Atomic’ Sets, Reflect Sciences, Arts.”  The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], December 15, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“Two Local Boys Training With 9th U.S. Infantry.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], May 13, 1949. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“United States Ground Forces Sent Into Korea: Uneasy World Fears Crisis May Lead to New War.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts],  July 21, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“Up and Down Broadway.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], August 4, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“Up and Down Broadway.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], July 14, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“U.S. Forces Ordered to Stand Or Die on Korean Battle Front; Baruch Urges All-Out Controls.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], August 18, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“U.S. Rejects Soviet Union Move To Seat China in United Nations; Marines Start Offensive in Korea.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts], August 25, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

“World War III: Thunder Can Be Heard.” The Methuen Transcript [Methuen, Massachusetts],  November 24, 1950. Nevins Memorial Library Digital Archives. https://nevins.historyarchives.online.

Secondary Sources

“CPL. Paul Norman Tremblay.” Defense Personnel POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000002aUl9EAE.

“Cpl. Paul Norman Tremblay.” Find a Grave. Updated February 6, 2018. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187133022/paul-norman-tremblay.

Feng, Patrick. “The 31st Infantry Regiment.” The Army Historical Foundation. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://armyhistory.org/31st-infantry-regiment/.

“Methuen Field of Honor.” Nevins Memorial Library. Accessed November 25, 2025. https://www.methuen.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1318/Honor-Roll-of-Methuen-Veterans-Field-of-Honor-PDF.

“Paul Norman Tremblay.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://ww.abmc.gov/.

“Paul Norman Tremblay.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed January 31, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/PaulNormanTremblay/18FB9.


This profile was researched and created through the Researching Silent Heroes program, sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission.