kˈɑːɹnz ˈɛntɚd ˈæktɪv dˈuːɾi wɪððə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ˈɑːɹmiz wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːnθ ɹˈɛdʒɪmənt fɹʌmðə tˌɛnəsˈiː nˈæʃənəl ɡˈɑːɹd dˈʊɹɹɪŋ wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ˈaɪ. ˌɔn ɑːktˈoʊbɚɹ ˈeɪt, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn kˈɑːɹnz kˈʌmpəni wʌz stˈɑːpt nˌɪɹ ɛstɹˈeɪz, fɹˈæns, baɪ ɐ dʒˈɜːmən məʃˈiːn ɡˈʌn pəzˈɪʃən.
Karnes entered active duty with the United States Army's 117th Regiment from the Tennessee National Guard during World War I. On October 8, 1918 Karnes' company was stopped near Estrées, France, by a German machine gun position.