KACV and its many partners throughout the Texas Panhandle have been proud to work together on a unique outreach project - Texas Panhandle WWII Stories. Intended to collect, preserve and educate about World War II stories and the Texas Panhandle, this project has been part of a nation-wide outreach initiative surrounding Ken Burns’ production, “The War,” which premiered in September 2007 on KACV.

An eighteen-month project which began in summer 2007, Texas Panhandle WWII Stories has thus far offered training and brainstorming workshops to over two dozen senior citizens associations, nursing homes, libraries, museums and schools throughout the Texas Panhandle. These partners conducted personal interviews in their communities by checking out digital video cameras from KACV. Those interviews, in addition to those conducted by KACV, have resulted in approximately 600 interview segments viewable on this web site, under Explore Stories.

In 2008 Texas Panhandle WWII Stories enters a new phase - one focused on utilizing these interview segments to further educate Panhandle residents. Two Co-Coordinators/Editors will lead eight Curriculum Writers in developing multi-disciplinary classroom curricular materials to integrate these local stories into what is taught in Texas Panhandle classrooms – both in the 11th grade and beyond. An additional resource will be developed for libraries and museums, thus broadening the impact of this project for a variety of educational institutions.

It has been our hope that as many Texas Panhandle WWII stories as possible – from those who served overseas to those who tended the home front – can be shared through this web site, on the air, through curriculum development as well as through a traveling exhibit which highlights many individuals’ stories.

As a project partner, Panhandle Plains Historical Museum will be the final repository for these stories, thus providing a lasting archival venue for research and preservation.

Texas Panhandle WWII Stories is made possible by many supporters who are highlighted on this website. Please join us in thanking them for the long-lasting positive effects of this outreach initiative. We are grateful for the support of the Texas Panhandle community!