This project began as an effort to document the experiences of my wife's grandfather, Charles Sando "Digger" Karnes, during his service with the 102nd Ozark Division in Germany during WWII. My intent was to gather all the available information in one place for future family members. Digger died December 19, 1965, long before most people considered collecting the histories of the typical veteran. When I began this endeavor, the only resources available were a box containing a few 60-year-old documents, his medals, and a folded American flag.
However, I soon discovered the efforts of those individuals, who with great foresight, have recorded the histories of WWII veterans. The project,
World War II Stories in Their Own Words, contains a surprising number of oral histories for members of Company F, 405th Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division in which Digger served in combat during 1944 and 1945. Narratives from soldiers such as Gene Greenberg, John Skene, Max Martin, and Jim Hansen provide a window into F Company and the soldiers who are no longer alive to tell their stories.
