->AUGUSTA -- It is with deep sadness that the family of Paul Anderson announces his passing at the Veterans' Affairs hospital at Togus, on April 20, 2009.He was born Sept. 12, 1922, the son of Charles and Helen (Solusky) Anderson in Peckville, Pa., the youngest of their three children. He enjoyed the closeness of his large extended family and the food and traditions of his Polish heritage. Paul had dreams of playing professional baseball in his youth, and spent endless hours pitching through a tire hung on a rope. Rural cow pastures sufficed as playing fields. After graduation from Benton High School, he was picked by the St. Louis Browns as a pitcher. World War II interrupted his playing career. Despite not passing the military physical due to a vision condition, Paul blended in with troops boarding a ship bound for the Pacific theater. Somewhere out in the Pacific, he officially entered the Army, becoming a medic with the 11th Airborne -- a unit that reportedly liberated more prisoners of war than any other unit in World War II.Paul saw heavy combat in New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan. A newspaper article from the period had a picture of Paul holding a Japanese flag, with an underlying title caption that read "honored for heroism." At the battle of Los Banyos, Paul was wounded while rescuing a badly burned survivor. He was able to hide with the survivor for four days behind enemy lines, until he could secure safe passage out of the jungle. "For the deed of bravery, he received the Soldier's Medal."After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to enroll as a pre-medical major at the University of Scranton. Here, he played varsity baseball, earning his varsity letter sweater, which he still has.While attending the university, he was introduced to a local girl from Clarks Summit, Pa., Romayne McHale, whom he married on Nov. 9, 1946. Unable to afford medical school, Paul worked a variety of jobs: the Fish & Game department, Lamarre, Pa.; as a police officer in Bloomsburg, Pa.; and for the Department of Agriculture in Lancaster, Pa., before joining the Veterans' Administration as a service chief. His job at the VA took him from Butler, Pa., to Baltimore and New Orleans, before his arrival at the Togus facility, where he finally retired after 39 years of federal service. Paul's love of sports was a central part of his life. As he traveled, he could be found at university track and field or gymnastics events. While in Baltimore, he had season tickets to the Orioles and Colts. While in Pennsylvania, he coached a Little League team to the state title. While in Maine, he scouted local baseball talent for his friends in the major leagues. He also umpired and coached the Gardiner American Legion team to two state baseball titles, even taking one to the final game of the New England championships. He also enjoyed fishing and camping in the wilderness of Canada with his brother, Ted, and his three nephews. He was an excellent bowler and played in many golf tournaments throughout New England. Later in life, he enjoyed watching his grandsons in their many athletic accomplishments.An avid gardener, one of his greatest joys was sharing his yearly harvest with his wonderful Mayfair neighbors. Paul was a 57-year member of the Elks, and owned the distinction of having the most years as a member of the local Augusta lodge. He will be forever remembered as a true gentleman with unwavering values. Paul was predeceased by his wife, Romayne, in 2001; his parents; a sister, Evelyn Gilhooley; half-brother William Anderson; his half-sister, Marguerite Ford; and an infant son, Jon Paul.He is survived by his daughter, Susanne and her husband, Robert Hawkins, and their sons, Tyler, of Augusta, and Todd, of the Air Force; a son, Paul, of Belfast; his brother, "Ted" Anderson and his wife, Jane, of Dunnellon, Fla.; two sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Mears, of Clarks Summit, and Virginia Brown, of Scranton, Pa., and his close brother-in-law, Gary Shepherd, of Factoryville, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews. There will be a private Catholic service with military honors at the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Augusta.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kents Hill School Athletic Fund, in memory of Paul Anderson, Kents Hill, ME 04349.