Title: John P. Maertz Papers and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1942-1945

Creator:

• Maertz, John P.

Call Number: WVM Mss 901

Quantity: 0.8 linear ft. (2 archives boxes) of papers and 0.4 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:

Letters, diaries, and photographs of John P. Maertz, a photo laboratory technician with the 9th Bombardment Division (Medium) during World War II. Collection contains large amount of correspondence between Maertz and girlfriend La Verne Tramitz, who he married in June 1943. The letters written by John describe his training in various stateside airfields from 1942 through 1943, including his duties developing photographs, his anticipation for their wedding, and his love for her. Letters written from Europe reflect his awareness of censorship and reveal few specific details about his service. He writes about seeing movies, the frequency with which he received letters and packages from home, his feelings for La Verne, and vague comments about his duties as a photographer. La Verne's letters to John describe happenings at home, including her work in a factory supporting the war effort. Two letters written to John from a pastor discuss Maertz's pending conversion from Catholicism to Lutheranism for his marriage to La Verne. Also included are two small diaries kept by Maertz during his service, the latter of which mentions his reaction to V-E Day. Photographs include numerous snapshots taken by Maertz during his stateside and European service. There are pictures of Maertz in uniform, including a wedding photograph showing La Verne with a wedding dress made partially of parachute material. More than a dozen photographs depict the German concentration camp Buchenwald after its liberation by Allied soldiers. Shots show torture victims, emaciated corpses, and some survivors. A booklet contains photographs showing the duties performed by Maertz's unit during the war in Europe. Other pictures show recreational activities in Europe, basic training, Maertz's first assignment at Pocatello, Idaho, and numerous fellow servicemen.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00901

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John P. Maertz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 25, 1918. He entered the United States Army Air Force in October 1942 and received training at air fields in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona before settling in to his first assignment at the Army Air Base in Pocatello, Idaho in April 1943. Maertz's military occupational specialty was photo laboratory technician. In June he returned to Milwaukee on a leave to marry girlfriend La Verne Tramitz. He returned to Pocatello until being shipped to Europe in December 1943, where he served with the 9th Bombardment Division (Medium). Maertz took and developed intelligence as well as historical photographs. He toured and photographed the liberated concentration camp at Buchenwald in 1945. Maertz returned to the United States in October 1945 and was discharged the same month. He and his wife lived in Milwaukee following the war. Maertz passed away on June 15, 1992.

The papers of John P. Maertz are divided into 2 series: Papers and Photographs.

Papers (1942-1945) consists almost entirely of correspondence between Maertz and girlfriend La Verne Tramitz, who he married in June 1943. The letters written by John describe his training in various stateside airfields from 1942 through 1943, including his duties developing photographs, his anticipation for their wedding, and his love for her. Letters written from Europe reflect his awareness of censorship and revealed few specific details about his service. He wrote about seeing movies, the frequency with which he received letters and packages from home, his feelings for La Verne, and vague comments about his duties as a photographer. La Verne's letters to John describe happenings at home, including her work in a factory supporting the war effort. She shares her love for John, her hopes that he would be home soon, and news about family and friends. Two letters written to John from Pastor Charles Piel discuss Maertz's pending conversion from Catholicism to Lutheranism for his marriage to La Verne. Also included are two small diaries kept by Maertz during his service. They include small written descriptions about daily activities. The first diary, which spans 1942 to 1943, contains much longer descriptions of his stateside training and his wedding. The second diary, which covers his service in Europe, is less descriptive and often only mentions packages and letters received or sent. No mention is made of his thoughts about Buchenwald, though he does write his feelings about V-E Day.

Photographs (1942-1945) contain numerous snapshots taken by Maertz during his stateside and European service. There are pictures of Maertz in uniform, both individually and in group shots. A wedding photograph shows La Verne with a wedding dress made partially of parachute material. More than a dozen photographs depict the German concentration camp Buchenwald after its liberation by Allied soldiers. Shots show torture victims, emaciated corpses, and some survivors. A booklet contains photographs showing the duties performed by Maertz's unit, the 9th Bombardment Division (Medium), during the war in Europe. Several scrapbook pages contain shots from basic training and other photographs show Maertz at his first stateside assignment in Pocatello, Idaho. Pictures show Maertz's fellow servicemen engaging in recreational activities including various parties, a tour of the Meuse River put on by the Red Cross, and a rest camp in Belgium. Uniformed soldiers, both individually and in groups, can be seen while stateside and in Europe.

Acquisition Information

Presented by La Verne Maertz, Milwaukee, WI, 2005. Accession Number: Mss 2005.66. This collection was organized as a result of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission project grant (2003-075)

Processing Information

Processed by Russell Horton in 2005.

	Series: Papers
	Subseries: Correspondence
	From John Maertz to La Verne Tramitz Maertz
Box   1 Folder   1-8	October 1942 - December 1944
Box   2 Folder   1-3	January - August 1945
	To John Maertz
Box   1 Folder   4	From Pastor Charles Piel, 1943
Box   1 Folder   5-10	From La Verne Tramitz Maertz, 1942-1944
Box   1 Folder   11-12	Diaries, 1942-1945
	Series: Photographs	⇧
Box   3 Folder   1	John P. Maertz [3] , 1943-1945
Box   3 Folder   2	In candid group shots [4] , 1943-1945
Box   3 Folder   3	In formal group shots [5] , 1945, undated
Box   3 Folder   4	Wedding photograph with La Verne Tramitz Maertz [1] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   5	“9th Bomb. Division Strikes” publication [1] , circa 1945
Box   3 Folder   6	A-26 Invader (Air plane) [1] , undated
Box   3 Folder   7-9	Basic training scrapbook [14 pages] , 1942-1943
	Subseries: Buchenwald	⇧
Box   3 Folder   10-11	Corpses [8] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   12	Nazi collaborators [1] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   13	Survivors [2] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   14	Torture victims [3] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   15-17	Group shots [12] , 1943-1945
Box   3 Folder   18	Belgium [6] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   19	England [7] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   20	Colorado car trip [5] , 1942
Box   3 Folder   21	Konkel (fellow serviceman) with friends [7] , 1942
	Subseries: Individual soldiers	⇧
Box   3 Folder   22	Belgium [5] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   23-25	England [11] , 1943-1944
Box   3 Folder   26	Marks' Hall [7] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   27	France [6] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   28	Germany [2] , 1945
	United States
Box   3 Folder   29	Arizona [2] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   30	Idaho [2] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   31	Soldier shaving [2] , 1942
	Subseries: Recreation	⇧
Box   3 Folder   32	Christmas party [1] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   33	Fishing with females [6] , undated
Box   3 Folder   34	Football game [1] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   35	Major Alcorn's birthday party [2] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   36	Parties [4] , 1943, 1945
Box   3 Folder   37-39	Red Cross tour of Meuse River [16] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   40-41	Rest camp (Yvoir, Belgium) [8] 1945
	Subseries: Scenery	⇧
Box   3 Folder   42	Cologne, Germany [2] 1945
Box   3 Folder   43	Reims, France [2] 1944
Box   3 Folder   44	U.S. Army Air Force Technical School of Photography booklet [5 pages] , 1943