A native of Maynard, Iowa, Corporal Donald Leroy Martin (June 7, 1923- November 28, 1982) served in the B-Battery of the 549th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Unit (part of the 87th Division of General George Patton’s 3rd Army) during the Second World War. He was one of three men in his Battery who are known to have kept a diary tracking their wartime experiences. He spent about two years working as an army mail clerk before returning to the United States for a thirty day furlough on February 24, 1945. (Vernon Goetz attached Martin’s furlough document to one of the pages of his diary; see Diary Inserts,  Insert 45).  As far as we know, Martin did not return to combat. He entrusted his diary, initially recorded from memory then later written down on paper, to Sgt. Vernon Goetz for safekeeping. Goetz treasured Martin’s friendship, writing in his own diary that Martin, “was not only good company but a great help” (February 24, 1945). 

Martin kept a detailed log of each day’s events, and collected various items from across Europe, including stamps, stationary, postcards, and photographs. His diary is very similar to that of Vernon Goetz, as well as that of David Arenstein, the B-Battery first lieutenant. Each of the three diaries gives us a different perspective of the war. Martin, the lowest ranking of the three, reflects negatively on the unit’s voyage across the Atlantic, describing his bunk as cramped and uncomfortable. Goetz had a more positive point of view; he was not seasick once during the voyage and enjoyed the camaraderie of his troops. Arenstein, a commissioned officer, describes taking his meals in a beautiful lounge and being tended to by a steward while on board. Throughout their time overseas, Goetz and Martin’s commentary was typically unemotional and occasionally upbeat; moments of despair and depression are rare in their writings. Martin especially enjoyed the unit’s time training in England; he mentions meeting several girls and visiting Piccadilly Circus. Once they reached mainland Europe, Martin was astounded at the destruction he saw. He spent time in France and Belgium, which had been profoundly impacted by German and Allied combat and bombings. Martin was often on the road, advancing with his unit, and occasionally driving officers from place to place. The diary ended abruptly on February 1, 1945.

All three diaries provide us with an intimate view of their authors. The preservation of these documents is extremely important, as they aid our understanding of the Second World War and the men who fought in it. 

The original Martin diary and a transcription of it can be found with the Vernon Goetz Diary Collection in Special Collections and Archives, Goucher College Library, Baltimore, Maryland.