The William Rettenmund Collection is divided into five series: Papers, Still Images, Rettenmund Cousins, and W.V.M. Huey Helicopter Display.
Papers (1965-2002) document William Rettenmund's service with the Army during the Vietnam War, particularly through his letters home and his postwar memoirs. The letters are primarily written to his parents, William and Agnes. Some letters were written to his siblings, Earl and Sally, his grandmother, and his friend, Harry Turk. The letters take a neutral theme and do not go into any detail of combat. They generally consist of Rettenmund asking about the family and describing daily maintenance he performed on helicopters. He does mention several times the number of days he has left in his tour, and at one point even says that he will be glad to see 1967 (October 12, 1966). Even though he did tell his parents about being involved in two crashes (something he later said he regretted doing), Rettenmund does not mention in his letters about being wounded or encountering enemy fire while on missions. The letters written to his parents from other relatives and friends include some discussion as to how Rettenmund was doing during his tour. The collection also contains a letter written to him by his parents that provide news from the family and wish him love, and one letter from his friend, Charlie Amble, who was also serving in the Army during the same time. One interesting letter was written by a fellow soldier still in Vietnam named, David, to Rettenmund after he had returned to Wisconsin in 1967. In the letter, David informs Rettenmund on those soldiers who had been killed or wounded since he had returned to Wisconsin. Rettenmund included personal notes on the letter for clarity. Rettenmund's memoirs, written for the Madison based Vietnam veterans group The Deadly Writers Patrol, contain more information about his experiences in Vietnam and are a particularly strong part of the collection. In them, he provides more details pertaining to his thoughts on Vietnam when he first arrived, how he spent a typical day, and his combat experiences. These reminiscences are in contrast to the more subdued tone Rettenmund presented in his letters home. He also goes into detail about witnessing fellow soldiers being wounded and killed in action in his memoirs. The letters that were written by other individuals to his parents all have some connection to Rettenmund's service in Vietnam, mainly through a sentence or two asking about any news about his well being.
Still Images (1965-2006) consist mainly of photographs taken by William Rettenmund while serving in the Army. A few images document him just before he left for basic training and just after he arrived back in Wisconsin after completing his tour of duty. Four images show a party that was thrown in Black Earth for Rettenmund and three other friends who were all drafted at the same time. Also included are images taken from his trip to Vietnam onboard the U.S.S. Pope. Rettenmund mentions in one letter that he was sick during the journey and spent a majority of time below deck on his bunk, and one image shows him lying in his bunk and looking somewhat ill. Some of the photographs were sent home by Rettenmund in letters to his parents. Those that were identified as ones he sent home have been marked to their corresponding letters. There are also several photographs of postwar reunion photographs that Rettenmund attended. The images show Rettenmund posing with veterans of his unit and also with the family members of comrades who were killed in action. The negatives and slides consist of identified images in the photographic collection, and have been linked to their corresponding photograph.
Rettenmund Cousins (1965-2006) consist of material pertaining to William Rettenmund's cousins, Russell and Richard Rettenmund, during their service in Vietnam. The scrapbook of Russell Rettenmund includes a mixture of newspaper clippings and photographs documenting his service. The newspaper clippings include articles written about his service, the service of his brother Richard, and the service of William. The photographs document his service in Vietnam mainly through images of him and fellow servicemen relaxing and joking around. It also includes an image of him at a formal presentation apparently taken after returning home. Also included are the service records for both Richard and Russell, as well as a newspaper article about Russell being the first Wisconsin Vietnam veteran to attend an American Legion function. A few loose photographs pertaining to both cousins are also included. One photograph from Richard's service includes an image of a helicopter flying overhead and is labeled 'As close as I got to Bill.'
W.V.M. Huey Helicopter Display (1965-2007) consists of materials indicating that the UH-1 Huey gunship helicopter on display in the W.V.M. exhibit was one that was used by Rettenmund's unit during the Vietnam War. The newspaper article describes the research Rettenmund undertook in identifying the helicopter and how he determined it was one that flew in his unit during his tour of duty. However, Rettenmund did not serve on it because of his service on troop carriers. Also included are five photographs that document the helicopter while in Vietnam. Two images show the helicopter in combat-ready status during the war, and three images show the base where it would have been stationed prior to returning to the United States.
