▁basic ▁elements ▁of ▁leadership ▁which ▁would ▁mark ▁him ▁for ▁early ▁selection ▁to ▁command . ▁Through out ▁his ▁four ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁cad et ▁he ▁worked ▁industri ously ▁in ▁the ▁g ym ▁and ▁made ▁several ▁athlet ic ▁squad s , ▁including ▁baseball , ▁broad s word , ▁ind oor ▁meet , ▁and ▁hockey . ▁He ▁took ▁an ▁inten se ▁interest ▁in ▁mark sm ans hip , ▁ear ning ▁the ▁nick name ▁" P istol ▁Paul ". ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁Dist ingu ished ▁P istol ▁Sh ot ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Infantry ▁P istol ▁Team ▁which , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁won ▁a ▁national ▁championship ▁from ▁the ▁Mar ines . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁An ▁ar dent ▁bel ie ver ▁in ▁the ▁Infantry ▁as ▁the ▁back bone ▁of ▁the ▁Army , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁Infantry ▁Regiment ▁at ▁V ancouver ▁Bar ra cks ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁assigned ▁to ▁several ▁training ▁cam ps ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁coast ▁as ▁an ▁instruct or ▁just ▁prior ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁he ▁was ▁National ▁Junior ▁Sab er ▁Champion . ▁Next ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁tact ical ▁officer ▁at ▁West ▁Point , ▁which ▁prevent ed ▁him ▁from ▁going ▁over se as ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁He ▁saw ▁those ▁battle fields ▁when ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁he ▁accompanied ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁early ▁gradu ates ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁through ▁France , ▁Germany ▁and ▁Italy . ▁ ▁While ▁at ▁the ▁Infantry