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Adolph John Karnowski

Little Falls High School Little Falls, MN

109th QM Regiment 34th Inf Div , 34th Ord Co 34th Inf Div 734th Ord Co 34th Inf Div 747th maint Bn 47th Inf Div

Photo taken at Cp Ripley, MN on activation of the 747th Maint Co. The Company was to move and occupy Cp Rucker, AL with the mission of training soldiers during the Korean war.

Narrative

Chief Warrant Officer Adolph John (Toby) Karnowski began his military in 1939 at Camp Ripley, Minnesota with the 118th Motor Repair Section, 109th Quartermaster Regt, 34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division Minnesota National Guard.

His Unit (34th Inf Div) was activated February 1941, and trained at Camp Clairborne, Louisiana. After the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii the 34th Division was dispersed to various southern United States ports to provide security for an anticipated Japanese invasion. When that threat diminished, the 34th Division was relieved of that mission and in January 1942 was sent to Northern Ireland to bolster the United States Military presence in Europe. In Northern Ireland his unit was reorganized to the 109th Ordnance Company and entered in an intensive training program to prepare for combat operations.

During November 1942, the 34th Infantry Division and his unit (now the734th Ordnance Company), participated in Operation Torch, the Invasion of North Africa. They fought the Axis forces in that campaign until they were defeated in North Africa. His Division then went into reserve providing support to the 7th Army fighting in Sicily.

The next combat operation he participated in was Invasion of Italy during the fall of 1943. The 34th Division fought the entire length of that country and was in Northern Italy when the Axis forces surrendered May 1945.

The Division then entered into training for operations against Japan. With the use of the Atomic bomb and Japan’s surrender, the Division returned to the United States and he was inactivated in November 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia.

On the reactivation of the National Guard after World War II, Toby enlisted with the 747th Maintenance Company, 47th Infantry (Viking) Division in the grade of Staff Sergeant. He was promoted to Warrant Officer Junior Grade November 1950. With the Army’s need of additional forces for the Korean War the 47th Infantry Division was activated in January 1951. The Division along with Toby was sent to Camp Rucker, Alabama where it’s mission was to train individual replacement’s for worldwide assignments. During the spring of 1954 CWO Karnowski was released from active duty, and was immediately assigned to the 747th Maintenance Battalion, 47th Infantry Division. He served in that unit until his retirement in 1977. Toby died 17 August 1994, and is buried in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery, Camp Ripley, Minnesota. I will remember Toby as a Soldier, Patriot, Father and Friend.