The papers of Trumann J. Johnson are divided into two series: Papers and Photographs.
Papers (1940-1948) consist almost entirely of correspondence exchanged between Johnson, his family, and his friends. The largest letter exchange occurred between him and his sister, Norraine, from the beginning of his military service toward the end of 1943 through his death in July 1944. Included are letters returned to Norraine after Trumann's death. These letters, exchanged between two teenaged siblings, show the deep bond that they shared. Norraine wrote of happenings at home and her hopes that Trumann stayed safe; he wrote about his experiences in the military from training through service in Europe and asked many questions about his friends and family at home. Also included are scattered letters from Trumann's other siblings, Walter and Helen, along with some letters from his friend in the Navy, Vernon Jenkins. Other scattered letters were written by friends, mostly female, to inform Trumann about social events and inquire about his experiences in the military. This series also contains letters between Norraine and Fred Theiler, a sailor in the Navy and apparently her boyfriend at the time. Theiler describes his experiences in the Navy and asks her repeatedly to wait for him. Other materials include some of Trumann's military papers, materials relating to his death and funeral, and ephemeral items like identification cards.
Photographs (1943-1944) contain a photo scrapbook compiled by Trumann's sister, Norraine, after his death. The book has captioned photographs of Trumann with his siblings and friends while on furlough, as well as several shots of him in uniform that he sent home while serving overseas. Also in this series are seven individual photographs of Trumann, both in civilian dress and uniform, as well as one photograph of Fred Theiler in Navy uniform.
