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.
