Title: Earl O. Ganzow Papers and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1943-1945

Creator:

• Ganzow, Earl O.

Call Number: WVM Mss 1026

Quantity: 1.0 linear ft. (3 archives boxes) of papers and 0.2 linear ft. (1 archives box) of photographs.

Repository:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Have questions? Contact the Reference Archivist

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)

See the catalog entry for current shelf locations and additions.

Abstract:

Papers and photographs of Earl O. Ganzow, a private with the 237th Combat Engineer Battalion during World War II who saw action at the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. The collection consists mostly of the letters Ganzow wrote to his wife, Marian, during his service from March 1943 through November 1945. Writing regularly, at times daily, he described his activities as well as his feelings. While in training at Camp Butner (North Carolina), he remarked upon the birth of his daughter and his reluctance to go overseas while also describing his work on the Tennessee Maneuvers repairing civilian property as part of a Fence Repair Company. Overseas, he touched briefly upon his role in the Normandy invasion as well as the fighting that led to the Battle of the Bulge. He described the destruction of European towns, his feeling that he was fighting for his family and the ability to go home to them, and growing stress due to constant enemy artillery attacks. After absent without leave from his unit for roughly one month, Ganzow's letters provided details of his punishment, being sent to the Loire (France) D.T.C. where he faced loss of pay, rationed stationery for letters home, and physical labor. After being released in the autumn of 1945, Ganzow remained in Europe through the end of November and wrote angrily about the delay and his hopes of starting a new life with his wife and daughter. Other papers include some religious (Catholic) materials, souvenirs from basic training, German propaganda cards portraying Adolf Hitler in a positive light, and a piece of Nazi propaganda, written in French, implying that the United States were merely a tool of the Jews. Photographs include shots of Ganzow and Marian, both individually and at their wedding. There are also pictures of bridges built and destroyed by his unit in Europe, and of his trip back to the United States at after the war.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss01026

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Earl Otto Ganzow was born on September 11, 1924 in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin and attended local schools through the seventh grade. He married Marian Woltemate on March 9, 1943 before entering the service later that month. Their daughter, Ruth, was born in September 1943.

Ganzow received basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina as part of Company F, 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Division. In January 1944 he took part in the Tennessee Maneuvers as part of a Fence Repair Company. He went overseas to Europe in May and, as a member of the 237th Combat Engineer Battalion, was part of the third wave of the Normandy Invasion on D-Day. Remaining in Europe, Ganzow was part of a demolition team that destroyed bridges as his unit moved east through France and into Germany. As the Battle of the Bulge began, Ganzow went missing. Upon returning to his unit in February 1945 he was allowed to remain with his unit until May, when he was sent to the Loire (France) D.T.C. as a penalty for his absence without leave. There, he lost his pay, was allowed a limited number of V-mails to write home, and performed hard labor. In the autumn he was restored to active duty and he remained in Europe through the end of November 1945. He then returned to the United States and was honorably discharged on January 3, 1946.

Ganzow remained in the Fort Atkinson area after the war, where he worked for General Motors Assembly Division for twenty-six years and also helped to build and maintain the county parks. He was an active member of the Paul Frank Florine Post No. 166 (American Legion) and the Edwin Frohmader Post No. 1879 (V.F.W.). He passed away on March 20, 1991 in Fort Atkinson.

The papers of the Earl O. Ganzow are divided into two series, Papers and Photographs.

Papers (1943-1945) consists mostly of the letters Earl wrote to his wife, Marian, during his basic training and service in Europe. Writing regularly, at times even daily, Ganzow described his basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina, responded to questions, and asked about events at home. While his spelling and grammar reflect his seventh grade education, the numerous letters are very revealing about his feelings and provide a very close look at this man's war experience. Less than six months after beginning his training, Marian gave birth to their first child, Ruth, so subsequent letters usually include questions about and a greeting for her. One of the more interesting aspects of Ganzow's training correspondence is his description of the Tennessee Maneuvers in which his unit took part from January to March 1944. Sometimes writing on official Maneuvers stationery, he described his work with a Fence Repair Company that trailed behind the majority of the soldiers to repair damage to civilian property, particularly fences. As his unit began preparing for a trip overseas, Ganzow wrote about his displeasure and unease with leaving the country and going so far away from his family. Arriving in Europe in May 1944, Ganzow became part of Company A, 237th Combat Engineer Battalion. A June letter briefly describes his experience as part of the third wave of the D-Day invasion. Subsequent correspondence includes mention of gambling with fellow soldiers for relatively large amounts of money and, sometimes, captured German objects. While lamenting his separation from his wife and daughter, he consistently wrote that he was fighting for them and to get home as soon as possible. Letters written at the end of 1944 described Germans burning towns as they retreated and the stress he felt due to constant artillery shelling. After a month of not writing letters, Ganzow wrote his wife in mid-February 1945 that he “was lost” and had just returned to his unit, but that he might be in trouble because of it. At the beginning of May 1945 he began writing from “Loire D.T.C.,” which seems to be a sort of prison for U.S. soldiers. The frequency of his letters to Marian decrease, as he explained that he receives a ration of V-mails. His letters reveal that he did not receive any pay while at Loire and he needed to see a board of officers to be “restored back to duty.” He fervently assured his wife that he was not at Loire “on account of women,” which someone at home told her. And as his release date neared, he wrote, “The first guy to ask me to take off with him again and I'll break his neck,” which suggests that he might have voluntarily left his unit earlier.” After leaving Loire, Ganzow remained on occupation duty through November and his letters reflect his growing anger at being kept from home.

Other papers in the collection include newspaper clippings that Ganzow sent to his wife in letters, a Catholic prayer book and card, and some military papers such as discharge form and some orders. Souvenirs include a postcard packet and photocopied book about Camp Butner from his basic training and Hitler cards and a Nazi propaganda piece from Europe. The cards are in German and feature Adolf Hitler in a very positive light. The propaganda is written in French; one side is an American dollar and the other side has text which decries the dollar and the United States as tools of the Jews.

Photographs (1943-1945) contain some pictures of Ganzow in military and civilian dress as well as photos from his wedding to Marian. Photographs from Europe include a bridge his unit built and one that it destroyed, as well as soldiers posing in full uniform. Ganzow's return to the United States is documented through photographs of the ship and the ocean during his voyage home.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Karen Bailey, Edgerton, Wisconsin, 2005. Accession Number: Mss 2005.203.

Processing Information

Processed by Russell Horton in 2007.

	Series: Papers
Box   1 Folder   1	Correspondence, 1944-1945
	Earl O. Ganzow to Marian J. Ganzow (wife)
Box   1 Folder   2-9	March 1943 - June 1944
Box   2 Folder   1-6	July 1944 - November 1945
Box   2 Folder   7	Newspaper clippings, circa 1943-1945
Box   2 Folder   8	Personal military records, 1943-1945
Box   2 Folder   9	Religious (Catholic) materials, circa 1943
	Subseries: Souvenirs	⇧
Box   3 Folder   1	Basic training, 1943-1944
Box   3 Folder   2	Camp Butner (N.C.) book, circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   3	Europe, circa 1944-1945
Box   3 Folder   4	Hitler cards, circa 1944
Box   3 Folder   5	Propaganda (Nazi), circa 1944
	Series: Photographs	⇧
Box   4 Folder   1	Earl Otto Ganzow [7] , undated
Box   4 Folder   2	Earl and Marian J. Ganzow [5] , undated
Box   4 Folder   3	Earl and Marian's wedding [5] , circa 1943
Box   4 Folder   4	Europe [5] , circa 1944
Box   4 Folder   5	Bridge built [6] , circa 1944
Box   4 Folder   6	Bridge destroyed [3] , circa 1944
Box   4 Folder   7-8	Soldiers [12] , circa 1944
Box   4 Folder   9	Photographs sent to Earl [4] , undated
	Subseries: Return to United States	⇧
Box   4 Folder   10	Boarding ship [2] , 1945
Box   4 Folder   11-13	Ocean views [16] , 1945
Box   4 Folder   14-15	Ship scenes [10] , 1945