In March 1949, at the age of 19, Paul was called up for compulsory military service. Four months later, considering his mother’s death, the military granted him a shortened term of 6 months, so that he could take care of the family farm in the absence of one of his three older brothers, who at the time was still held as a POW in the Soviet Union.

Late September 1950, he joined the first contingent to fight in the Korean War, probably for financial reasons. This might explain why he chose to spend two terms overseas. Paul got his first promotion on 10 June 1952, when he was appointed Caporal due to his merits on the battlefield. He was realeased from active service in October 1952.

In October and November 1951, between both terms on the Korean peninsula, he spent 6 weeks with Gauthier Steffen in the United States and Canada. They toured the biggest cities of both countries to advertise the effort of the Luxembourgish detachment in the Korean war.

Being back from war, Paul left the Army and henceforth devoted himself to the club life in Bissen, where he was a founding and lifelong member of the local fishing club.