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This collection pertains to Thomas A. Butler, who served as a First Lieutenant in the 468th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion during World War II. Butler served in France and Germany from 1944-1945, receiving five battle stars and a bronze star medal. In the immediate months following the war, he was stationed at the Berchtesgaden Hof Hotel, which was adjacent to Hitler's retreat at Obersalzberg, where he operated the Hotel as a retreat for Army officers. Butler maintained a detailed Service Record Book that includes his personal information, transfers, the locations he was deployed, the people he met, and military letters he received during and after the war. In aggregate, Butler's collection includes: A U.S Military Service Record Book, including a personalized autographed photograph of General of the Air Force Henry (Hap) Arnold, one Berchtesgaden photo album created by Butler himself, Butler's awarded and framed Bronze Star, and two artifacts retrieved from Germany: one Nazi Party armband and one stationary folder.

This is an oral interview transcript relates to Dwight R. Crum regarding his service with the 119th Anti-Aircraft Battalion in Europe during World War II. He was initially drafted into the 95th Coast Artillery Corps in 1941. He served at Pearl Harbor in 1942 before being transferred to the European Theater where he served as a 2nd LT with the 119th Anti-Aircraft Battalion.

John E. Hinrichs served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1941 to 1946 in the Pacific Theatre (Iwo Jima, Hawaii). He enlisted before Pearl Harbor, was assigned to Midway, then the 8th Field Depot, and was sent in as a part of the Army of Occupation of Japan. He discussed how the army affected him later in life. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript.

This collection relates to First Sergeant William Ernest Spence who served with the 11th Antiaircraft Auto Weapons Group in the European Theater during the World War II. The collection includes letters, foreign currency, military service documents, photographs, a newspaper, postcards, and ephemera.