The papers of Martin Gutekunst are divided into two series: Papers and Photographs.
Papers (1943-1994) consist of letters, awards, newspaper clippings, and ephemeral materials. The letters comprise the bulk of this series and provide a detailed account of World War II service in two theaters. Letters to his family often use humor to deflect attention from the dangers Gutekunst faced. In the summer of 1945, the Gutekust family moved to a new home, and many of the letters from July 1945 discuss this. In September 1945, Gutekust began writing from Japan, and a September 17, 1945 letter mentions that he is glad to be in Japan rather then finishing his service stateside. The family exchanged round robin letters in 1944 and 1945, when Dorothy Pokel typed Martin's letters home, these letters ofen include comments from Dorothy and news from the Pokel family. The Mt. Cavalry letters contain a great deal of information about service men and women from the congregation and show one organization's efforts to stay connected with service members.
Other materials include detailed memoirs written originally for inclusion at the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, copies of his military records, newspaper clippings of D-Day commemorative articles in Milwaukee papers, and stories from the opening of the D-Day museum.
Photographs (1943-1945) consist of images taken during Gutekunst's military service and several images relating to his experiences as a veteran. The bulk of the military service images were taken on Okinawa and document military life there. Images include the Okinawa signal station, military cemetery, and the camp. Notable are the family pictures taken in 1944 while Gutekunst was home on leave following the D-Day invasion. Martin, and his brothers who also served in WWII all wear military uniforms and pose with their mother, Otilla, and other family members.
The veteran images document Gutekunst's involvement in the National D-Day Museum (now the National World War II Museum) in New Orleans and include photographs of the exhibits and the events surrounding the museum's opening. Gutekunst's 1994 trip back to Normandy is included, and images show Martin on the beach where he landed in 1944. Of interest is a photo of Jim Keeney, the man who captured Tokyo Rose taken at a 1991 reunion.
