Monty’s Brigadier General Recognizes 79th anniversary of the World War II D-Day Invasion

By Barbara A. Preston | Posted July 21, 2023

As fewer and fewer U.S. veterans are able to make the trip to Normandy, U.S. Army Brigadier General John W. Lubas (Montgomery High School 1993) made the trip for them this summer to honor soldiers and medics who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“It is our responsibility to ensure [D-Day] stories and their sacrifices are never forgotten,” Gen. Lubas said.

Brigadier General John W. Lubas of Montgomery Township (right) with his son, William, in the Normandy region of France this summer.

A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans, according to “Key Facts about D-Day,” by PBS News Hour. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The battle — and especially Allied bombings of French villages — killed 20,000 French civilians.

The D-Day invasion helped change the course of World War II. A few thousand D-Day veterans may be still alive; the youngest are in their late 90s.

Brigadier Gen. Lubas, the Deputy Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, and his son William W. Lubas, (Vanderbilt University ROTC, 2027), traveled to Carentan les Marais, France, this summer.

Brigadier Gen. Lubas spoke honoring the heroes and veterans of the D-Day Invasion and recounted the Screaming Eagle’s parachute and glider assault to liberate the village of Carentan, the liberation of Normandy, and the European theatre of war.

“The 101st Airborne Division is forever linked to the people of Normandy, especially Carentan,” Gen. Lubas said. “The division fought and sacrificed for the freedom and peace that exists today in France.”

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To watch the General’s comments, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvPGH_YGyHM. ■