New scenic trail honors Williamsburg war hero

A new scenic trail was recently established honoring a Williamsburg native who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts during the Vietnam War.

Named after Joe Calvin Paul, who served in the United States Marine Corps, the trail begins on KY-904 where it meets KY-92 and continues 13.3 miles, passing through the Nevisdale community of Whitley County where Paul was born and continues along that highway until eventually ending where it runs back into KY-92.

Designed by the Whitley County Motorcycle Group as part of Backroads of Appalachia, a non-profit tourism collective based out of Harlan that specializes in creating these kinds of scenic trails throughout the state, the Joe C. Paul Trail is part of a series of trails created by the collective over the past several months. However, this one is unique in that it is the first created by the group dedicated to a Medal of Honor recipient.

Paul was born April 23, 1946, in Williamsburg, where he was raised until the age of 14, when his family moved to Dayton, Ohio. Just a few years later, Paul enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1963. Over the next two years, Paul rose through the ranks, eventually being promoted to lance corporal.

In May 1965, Paul and his unit were shipped out to the Republic of Vietnam. Paul’s unit participated in Operation Starlite, which Wikipedia describes as “the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War.”

During that operation, on Aug. 18, 1965, Paul and his unit were pinned down and had several Marines who had been wounded. To help ensure that his fellow Marines were evacuated, Paul entrenched himself between the enemy and his comrades, providing suppressive fire to divert the enemy. Paul’s attempts were a success, though he was severely wounded during the firefight and died as a result of his injuries the following day.

As a result of his heroics, Paul was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious military decoration one can receive.

A portion of KY-92 already bears Paul’s name as a tribute to his efforts. Paul was also honored during a ceremony in August, where a Kentucky Historical Society Marker was erected outside the Whitley County Courthouse.