COLLECTIONS FROM THE

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum recently added the exceptional collection of World War II veteran Russell C. Meartz to its permanent holdings. A lifelong resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, Meartz enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces on January 6, 1942 and trained stateside as a flight engineer on B-25s and B-26s before deploying to Europe two years later. As part of the 587th Bomb Squadron, 394th Bomb Group, Meartz flew 65 missions between March and November of 1944. He survived two incidents during that period; the first a midair collision with another U.S. plane on April 22, followed by being shot down over France on June 13th. The latter incident—his 40th mission—is represented as a parachute above the pocket on his A-2 bomber jacket. Meartz kept the lifesaving parachute and sent it home to be made into a wedding dress for his future wife as well as baptismal gowns for his children and grandchildren. He returned to the states that December and was discharged on June 21, 1945, having earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions the previous summer.

By: Andrea Hoffman Collections Manager