7th Finglish trip September 2008 #31
Paul-Henry Tirri was born in Jaakkima, Karelia. As a young boy during the war he was in the midst of bombings at Rautu, which was so traumatic it unleashed in Paul-Henry a religious conversion.
His father had gone to America before him. He was a chauffeur and his mother was in domestic service. When Paul came to America in 1947, his father was there to meet him. He attended Suomi College in Michigan, studied at Columbia University in New York and wanted to become a poet.
In 1949, Paul enlisted for a period of four years, serving in the Korean War and in Japan. After returning, he worked in New York as a security manager for Tiffany's, Lord & Taylor and Alfred Dunhill, among other firms. His last job was as a customer service manager for the Sims menswear shop.
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