Title: Wilbur C. Berget Papers and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1941-1952

Creator:

• Berget, Wilbur C.

Call Number: WVM Mss 64

Quantity: 1.2 linear ft. (3 archives boxes and 2 oversize folders) of papers and 0.6 linear ft. (1 archives box and 1 flat 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 Wilbur C. Berget, a non-commissioned officer who received extensive stateside training and later served with the 12th Armored Division in Europe during World War II before dying tragically in a car accident while awaiting a transfer home. The majority of the collection consists of letters Berget, a Gratiot, Wisconsin native, wrote home to his parents and siblings during the war. The letters are long and very descriptive in chronicling Berget's service from his initial training through the war in Europe and up to a week before his death in December 1945. They are full of observations about military and social activities during the war years and cover major events such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and subsequent mobilization, the condition of blacks in the segregated South, fighting in Europe, and the liberation of a concentration camp. Also included are Berget's military papers and records relating to his death, burial overseas, and reinterment in Wisconsin. Photographs include three chronological albums that detail his military service.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00064

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Wilbur Clarion Berget was born on November 25, 1916 in Gratiot, Wisconsin. He grew up on his family's farm, raising cows and other livestock. He attended local schools and graduated from South Wayne High School in 1936. Upon graduation, he helped out on the family farm before working as a carpenter. He was inducted into the Army on February 25, 1941 and set out for Campo, California where he joined the 11th Cavalry. Throughout his military service he would write descriptive letters to his parents, Alvin and Bessie, as well as to his siblings, Arlene, Donald, Genevieve, Vernon, and Vivian. He trained at Camps Seeley and Lockett in the southern part of the state for over a year before transferring briefly to Fort Benning, Georgia. By August 1942 Berget, now a sergeant in the 92nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, was stationed at Camp Campbell, Kentucky. Berget served in the Headquarters Company, where he worked to keep his unit well supplied. He traveled ahead of his unit to Camp Barkley, Texas in November 1943 to arrange for accommodations and supplies. In June 1944 he received a promotion to warrant officer, junior grade.

After a short furlough at home in the fall of 1944, Berget and his unit were shipped to Europe in September. There, they served with the 12th Armored Division throughout France and Germany. Berget made sure rations and other supplies were on hand as his unit saw significant action against the retreating German forces. After the war ended in Europe, Berget waited patiently for an opportunity to return home to his family. By December 1945 he had written his family that he expected to be shipped home shortly. However, on December 23 Berget and two other soldiers were involved in a very serious on-duty car accident. Berget received medical attention and surgery, but he died on the morning of December 24. He was buried overseas, but his family requested that his remains be delivered home, and in 1948 he was reinterred near his hometown.

The papers of Wilbur C. Berget are divided into two series: Papers and Photographs.

Papers (1941-1952) consists mostly of the voluminous letters that Berget wrote home to his family. Starting at the beginning of his service in February 1941 through one week before his tragic death on Christmas Eve 1945, Berget wrote lengthy letters home in which he described his activities and made observations about his surroundings. Berget commented upon many important events and subjects in his letters: the attack on Pearl Harbor and mobilization for war (letter to parents, 12/8/41), the plight of African-Americans in the segregated South (letter to parents, 7/12/42), his experiences in battle, and the liberation of a concentration camp (letter to parents, 5/6/45). Even while describing the world-altering events he witnessed, Berget frequently asked for news from home or commented upon news previously sent to him, often revolving around the family farm or his siblings' education. The final letters show his desire to return home to see his family. Berget's military papers provide additional information about his service and include his enlistment papers, orders, pay and medical records, and promotions. The posthumous papers detail the aftermath of Berget's death. His family's quest to have his remains returned, the condolences from friends and military acquaintances of Berget, insurance claims, and obituaries. Ephemeral items include some German postcards, filled out in German and featuring Nazi stamps, that Berget must have picked up during his service.

Photographs (1941-1945) contain three quasi-chronological photo scrapbooks that provide a visual counterpart to Berget's letters, with pictures of fellow soldiers, military buildings and vehicles, and scenery. The photographs within the scrapbooks are undated and largely unidentified, but seem to run in a general chronological order. Researchers can consult Berget's letters to get a good idea of the picture subjects. The first scrapbook, with a leather 11th Cavalry cover, contains pictures of his early training in Campo, California. The second scrapbook begins while Berget is still in California and goes through his first days in Europe, including his voyage over the Atlantic. The final book contains photos of his European service and, though they are undated, likely document the final days of Berget's life. Other, loose photographs are largely unidentified and, without the context of the scrapbooks, are more difficult to place. Included are two shots of Berget, several of fellow soldiers, and many candid shots taken of soldiers in an armored vehicle, on horses, and in various vistas in Europe.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Vivian Wang, Mineral Point, WI, 1995. Accession Number: TR0365 and A95.081. This collection was organized as a result of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission project grant (2003-075).

Processing Information

Preliminary inventory by Mark Van Ells, circa 1995. Processed by Russell Horton in 2004.

	Series: Papers
	Subseries: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	From Wilbur C. Berget, 1941, undated
	To Alvin and Bessie Berget (parents),
Box   1 Folder   2-15	February 1941 - June 1943
Box   2 Folder   1-15	July 1943 - December 1945
Box   2 Folder   16	To Arlene and Vivian Berget (sisters), 1941-1942
Box   3 Folder   1-2	To Donald Berget (brother), 1941-1945
Box   3 Folder   3-6	To Genevieve Berget (sister), 1941-1945
Box   3 Folder   7	To Vernon Berget (brother), 1941-1945
Box   3 Folder   8	Others to Genevieve Berget, undated
Box   3 Folder   9	Ephemera, 1945, undated
Box   3 Folder   10	Postcards, 1943, 1945
Box   3 Folder   11	Campo, California (annotated), circa 1941
Box   3 Folder   12	Fort Benning, Georgia (souvenir folder), undated
Box   3 Folder   13	German (written and stamped in German) [3] , circa 1945
Box   3 Folder   14	Programs, circa 1945
Box   3 Folder   15	Stationery, undated
	Subseries: Military papers	⇧
Box   3 Folder   16	Captured equipment releases, 1945
Box   3 Folder   17	Enlistment papers, 1941
Box   3 Folder   18	Individual equipment records, 1943-1944
Box   3 Folder   19	Insurance records, 1943-1944
Box   3 Folder   20	Leave of absence requests, 1944
Box   3 Folder   21	Medical records, 1941-1944
Box   3 Folder   22	Orders, 1944-1945
Box   3 Folder   23	Pay records, 1941-1944
Box   3 Folder   24	Personal service records, 1944
Box   3 Folder   25	Promotions, 1943-1944
Ov   9 Folder   3	Roster, HQ & HQ Co., 92nd Armd Rcn Bn, undated
	Subseries: Posthumous papers	⇧
Box   3 Folder   26	Burial and reinterment, 1946-1948
Box   3 Folder   27	Condolences to Berget family, 1946, 1949
Box   3 Folder   28	Insurance claims, 1946-1952
Box   3 Folder   29	Last will and testament, 1944
Box   3 Folder   30	Obituaries, 1945-1946
Ov   9 Folder   4	Presidential memorial certificate, 1945
	Series: Photographs	⇧
Box   4 Folder   1	Wilbur C. Berget [2] , undated
Box   4 Folder   2-4	Candids [16] , undated
Box   4 Folder   5	Armored vehicle [5] , undated
Box   4 Folder   6	Cavalry [4] , undated
Box   4 Folder   7-11	Europe [24] , circa 1945
Box   4 Folder   12	Governor Culburt Olson (California) visits camp [5] , undated
Box   4 Folder   13-15	Individuals (mostly unidentified) [15] , undated
Box   4 Folder   16-17	Scenery, Campo, CA [9] circa 1942
	Subseries: Scrapbooks	⇧
Box   5 Folder   1	Campo, California (Cavalry), 1941-1942
Box   4 Folder   18	Campo, California - Europe, 1943-1944
Box   4 Folder   19	Europe, 1944-1945