“Letters of a World War II Airman” shares original letters to and from my uncle, Frank Ebner Gartz, from 1943-1945, tracing the course of WWII, life on the home front, and the evolution of a neighborhood kid into seasoned airman.
Letter U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES 11 July [1943] Dear Mom, Here I am again. I have a little time now before I have to go to class so I thought I’d drop you a line. The flight went down to [...]
Once again we hear from Frank Gartz's best friend, Frank Von Arx, this time posted in North Carolina. Eighteen-year olds from small towns, farmland and forest, and insulated city neighborhoods, were seeing the country as they moved through their training - and ultimately into war. Here Von Arx is keeping my grandmother, up-to-date on his whereabouts and including a cool photo of the B-17 bomber.
At Truax Field, Frank joined the "Service Club." It seemed they were in "service" of having fun, like this singing group. In Frank's last letter, he wrote about the fun he had playing with a little kid. Here's [...]
Frank at Cave of the Mounds, WI Frank loved kids. He was the baby of the family—ten years younger than my dad, the second oldest of the three Gartz boys. Even at age eighteen, when so many guys [...]
Letter #1 USO 6-9-43 Dear Mom: I can’t tell how this writing looks because I had my eyes dilated today and all I can see is a blurred line. The Dr. Said that I was a little farsighted and I [...]