The papers of the Harry E. Baumgartner are divided into two series, Papers and Photographs.
Papers (1941-2003) consists of scattered documents from Baumgartner's military service and veteran life. A military discharge form and obituary provide biographical information about his life and Army service. An informal timeline of the 135th Medical Regiment's World War II service provides an idea of where they were and what they were doing throughout the war. There are other ephemeral items from his military service such as identification cards and some military orders. The remaining papers in the series document his involvement in the 135th Medical Regiment Association. They include membership cards, annual reunion flyers and invitations, memorial service programs, and blank stationery. As a whole, this series compliments the more comprehensive Photographs series.
Photographs (1941-1943) document two aspects of Baumgartner's World War II service: his training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi and his overseas service in the Pacific Theater. The Camp Shelby photographs include many candid shots of Baumgartner and other members of his unit, as well as many views of buildings and vehicles at the military training facility. The regimental band and a chaplain performing a religious service are also represented. There are humorous shots of a soldier pinning staff sergeant insignia to another soldiers rear end and of a soldier taking an open air shower. There are also some photographs of a local cotton farm that provides a glimpse of rural life in the deep South in the 1940s.
The Pacific Theater pictures have similar photographs of Baumgartner and fellow soldiers as well as military vehicles including planes and ships. The shots focus more heavily on camaraderie and recreation than on battles and more traditional aspects of active military service. Three photographs show a group of Japanese prisoners of war being guarded on a beach. There are shots of aboriginal people and tropical scenery typical of most men who served in the Pacific and of American soldiers receiving medical care, likely from members of Baumgartner's unit.
