World War II Honoree

Karl Wagner

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Palo Alto, California

Honored By

Ann Rodgers Redd

Relationship

Niece

HE LEFT STANFORD UNIVERSITY TO ENLIST IN THE TANK DESTROYERS. BECAUSE HE WAS FLUENT IN GERMAN, HE THEN APPLIED AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, WHERE HE EVENTUALLY BECAME A CAPTAIN AT AGE 20. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 84TH INFANTRY (RAILSPLITTERS).HE LANDED AT NORMANDY SHORTLY AFTER D-DAY AND FOUGHT THROUGH NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, THE ARDENNES, THE RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE, INCLUDING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. HE INTERROGATED GERMAN PRISONERS, AND NEGOTIATED THE SURRENDER OF THE COMMANDER OF AN ISLAND OFF ST. MALO. HE MET THE RUSSIANS AT THE ELBE RIVER AND WHEN THE WAR ENDED DID WORK IN MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN GERMANY. WHILE STILL A FIRST LIEUTENANT, HE RECEIVED A BRONZE STAR FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY IN HOLLAND, BELGIUM AND GERMANY, 28 NOVEMBER 1944 TO 9 MAY 1945. THROUGH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF GERMAN MILITARY AND CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS, HE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DIVISION'S MILITARY OPERATIONS. BETWEEN THE ROER AND RHINE RIVERS, HE MOVED WITH FORWARD ELEMENTS TO GATHER INVALUABLE INFORMATION THAT EXPEDITED THIS SWIFT ADVANCE. THE EXEMPLARY QUALITIES AND SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF DUTY DISPLAYED REFLECT HIGH CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.