MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #273 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Wed., Sept. 10, 2025, in honor of U.S. Army Private First Class Leon R. Karwacki, who lost his life in World War II at the age of 27 and whose remains have been identified and returned to Wisconsin for burial.
“Private First Class Leon R. Karwacki was a hero who selflessly answered the call to serve and gave his life defending the values and freedoms we hold 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 home state so that he may be finally laid 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 battalion advanced against enemy forces near Stolberg, Germany. On Sept. 17, 1944, Private First Class Karwacki was killed during 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. In 1945, American graves registration personnel recovered a set of unidentified remains and subsequently interred them at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense and American Battle Monuments Commission exhumed the remains and sent them to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory for analysis. Using dental, anthropological, and circumstantial evidence, the remains of 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 #273 will 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.
