The correspondence housed in this collection consists of 950 letters, 305 V-mail photos, 74 V-mail originals, 51 church bulletins (from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia), 45 greeting cards, 10 postcards, 8 telegrams, and 2 radiograms. Most of this correspondence was written between Joe and Carolyn Martin during World War II, but some dates from before and after the War and some was written to either Joe or Carolyn from other family members. Joe Martin’s letters from Europe frequently include of comic strips, newspaper clippings, European money, and souvenirs like handkerchiefs or military patches. Of particular note are two cloth Nazi armbands, which were taken from a closet in an apartment.

The scrapbooks and photo albums show other areas of Joe Martin’s life and interests. The smaller photo album includes family photos from before his birth, buildings on the Castle Heights campus, and activities at Davidson College. The larger photo album begins at Davidson and includes photos of Carolyn and her sister Anne, Joe Martin’s military portrait and many European snapshots, photos of their children, Christmas photos from family friends, and a demo record for Strangers in the Night. The scrapbook has some loose papers and photos in the front, but is primarily a collection of Bill Maudlin comics from 1944. There are also three day books that Joe Martin filled with baseball scores and records during his childhood.

Other papers include three yearbook/catalogs from Castle Heights Military Academy (one showing General Robert R. Neyland congratulating his son) as well as other yearbooks and a publication documenting a summer of ROTC camp. Several folders house Joe Martin's official military record and include every transfer, promotion, and financial issue of his military career. Other folders hold papers from his later life documenting veterans’ affairs, including correspondence with Dean Cannon, bulletins from the Anzio Beachhead Vets group, and materials showing the commissioning of the USS Anzio on May 2, 1992.