Born on November 16, 1892 in Missouri. He graduated West Point in 1915 and was a member of the “Class of Stars”. He served with distinction in WW1. He commanded the 81st Infantry Division in WW2 “The Wildcats” in the Pacific Theater of Operations. More about Mueller form WW2 Stories: Major General Paul J. Mueller was one of Union’s (Missouri) favorite sons. In this photo, General Mueller (left) welcomes famed Admiral William Halsey (right) to Angaur Island in 1944. At center is Admiral Robert Carney, later Chief of Naval Operations. The heavily fortified island had just been captured by forces under the command of General Mueller. He was born in Union in 1892. His grandfather, John Mueller, was a watchmaker and jeweler who had his shop and home in the building on Oak Street that until recently was the Franklin County Historical Museum. His father, Albert Mueller, had a shoe store on the north side of the Square. General Mueller was the valedictorian of the first four-year graduating class from Union High School in 1910. He was then appointed to West Point by Congressman Champ Clark. He graduated No. 45 out of a class of 164 (Omar Bradley was No. 44; Dwight Eisenhower was No. 61). A highly decorated combat veteran of World War I, he was given command of the 81st Infantry Division at the start of World War II. One source states that "Mueller's men hit upon two effective innovations: air-delivered napalm and flamethrowers mounted on tracked landing vehicles." The 81st was known as the "Wildcat Division" and it said that the Union Missouri High School athletic teams adopted the name Wildcats as a tribute to General Mueller. After the war, General Mueller was personally selected by General Douglas MacArthur to be his Chief of Staff during the occupation of Japan. General Mueller retired from the Army in 1954 after nearly 40 years of service. He died in 1964 and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.