The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin
09/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/09/2025 14:41
Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Army Private First Class Leon R. Karwacki Who Lost His Life in World War II
Press Release: Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Army Private First Class Leon R. Karwacki Who Lost His Life in World War II
State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 09/09/2025 01:30 PM CDT| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2025 |
| Contact: [email protected] |
| Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor ofArmy Private First Class LeonR. Karwacki Who Lost His Life in World War II |
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MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #273ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff onWed., Sept.10, 2025, in honor of U.S. Army Private First Class LeonR. Karwacki, who lost his life in World War IIat the age of 27and whose remains have been identifiedand returned to Wisconsin for burial. "Private First Class LeonR. Karwacki was a hero who selflessly answered the call to serve and gave his life defending the values and freedoms wehold most dear," said Gov. Evers. "We are forever grateful for his service and sacrifice, and it is an honor to welcome Private First Class Karwacki back to his homestateso that he may befinallylaid to rest." From Milwaukee, Private First Class Karwacki was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Division,and in September 1944, his battalionadvanced againstenemy forces nearStolberg, Germany. On Sept. 17, 1944, Private First Class Karwacki was killedduring an attack, and due to the intensity of enemy fire, his body could not be recovered.Having made the ultimate sacrifice, Private First Class Karwacki was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart,and other campaign honors recognizing his brave service. In1945, American graves registration personnel recovered a set of unidentified remainsand subsequentlyinterred them at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense and American Battle MonumentsCommission exhumed the remains and sent them tothe Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratoryfor analysis. Using dental, anthropological, and circumstantial evidence, the remainsof Private First Class Karwacki were positively identified. Private First Class Karwacki will be buried with full military honors on Wed., Sept. 10, 2025, in Milwaukee. Executive Order #273will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Wed., Sept. 10, 2025, and is available here. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
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| Office of the Governor • 115 East Capitol, Madison, WI 53702 | |
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The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin published this content on September 09, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 09, 2025 at 20:41 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]