Carl Penner was born in Milwaukee on December 12, 1878, and has remained there all his life except during service in the military. Interested in the military service, especially the cavalry, Penner enlisted in the First Wisconsin Cavalry, Troop A (Light Horse Squadron) in 1901. In 1907, Penner was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant; to 1st Lieutenant in 1912 and to Captain in 1915.
As Captain, Penner participated with the First Cavalry Regiment in the Mexican Border Incident in 1916. Mobilized by Presidential Proclamation, July 15, 1917, the First Cavalry Regiment was converted to light field artillery and became the 120th Field Artillery Regiment attached to the 57th Field Artillery Brigade. Other elements of the Brigade included the 119th, 121st, and 147th Field Artillery Regiments.
With the coming of World War I, the 120th entrained on February 5, 1918, with other elements of the 57th Brigade for Camp Merritt on the east coast. As commanding officer of the 120th, Penner, now a colonel, oversaw the embarkation on the Leviathon from New York in March 1918. After arriving in England, the 120th proceeded from Southhampton to Le Havre, France, and then to Camp Coetquidon where it trained for three months. Firing batteries from the Regiments were furnished to the Artillery Training Camps at Saumur and Montigny-sur-Aube during the next year.
During June 1918, the 120th aided the 32nd Division in the offensive in the Toul Sector and Haute Alsace. The 32nd Division was assigned to the 49th Army Corps of the VIII French Army and the 120th was assigned more particularly to the 9th French Division in the French divisional artillery. The 119th and 147th Regiments also served in the Toul Sector from June 5 to June 22, 1918, in support of the 26th Division. The entire Brigade served in the Haute Alsace Sector from June 12 to July 22 supporting the 32nd Division. The Brigade also participated in the Aisne-Marne Offensive from August 1 to August 25 in support of the 28th, 32nd, and 77th Divisions. Without rest the Brigade made a forced march to the Oise-Aisne Offensive and again supported the 32nd Division and the First Moroccan Division from August 28 to September 6. During this time Juvigny and Terny Sorny were captured. After five days of rest at Wassy, the Brigade marched to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive where it supported the 3rd, 32nd, 79th, and 89th Divisions from September 26 to November 28. It was then withdrawn to a rest area where it served with the 40th Division at Revigny and later with the 88th Division in the Gondrecourt area.
In May 1919, the Brigade embarked at Brest for return to the United States. At Camp Devens, Massachusetts, Colonel Penner took the lead in forming the 120th Field Artillery Regimental Association. Penner served as president of the Association and his adjutant, Captain Frederic Sammond, served as secretary-treasurer. These two men and Regimental Association Historian H.M. Appel were responsible for the writing and publishing of a 120th Field Artillery Regimental history in 1928.
