WWII vet dies just days after celebrating D-Day anniversary in Normandy


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
As a paratrooper during World War II with the 508th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne unit, Cpl. Jack Schlegel experienced everything from D-Day to being captured by the Germans to sharing a drink with Gen. George Patton. Earlier this month, he was able to mark the anniversary of D-Day one more time, visiting Normandy just five days before he died at the age of 90.
"As much as it hurts to lose my dad I know that this last D-Day celebration in France fulfilled his life and he was at peace," his daughter, Susan LaBudde, told NBC News.
Schlegel was born in Germany in 1923, and emigrated to the U.S. at age 7. At 19, he parachuted into Normandy, and was later captured and tortured by the Germans four different times. Because he was fluent in German, he was able to survive — though he was always quick to point out that "even though I was born in Germany, I'm 100 percent American."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Accolades came from the Army — Schlegel received a Purple Heart from Patton, who then drank Johnnie Walker Black Label with him — as well as the French, who named a street near where he landed in his honor. When he visited the Chemin Jack Schlegel during his visit this month, he told NBC News that he didn't do anything alone, and often thought of the men who never made it back home.
"When I see it now, I get a little emotional," he said. "It is very honoring for me to have all these people here, and they appreciate what the Americans did." Watch a tribute to Schlegel below. --Catherine Garcia
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Exodus begins from Burning Man after desert mud trapped tens of thousands
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
American Airlines suing website that offers tickets via price loopholes
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Federal agencies investigating near miss between Southwest jet and private plane
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud dies at 25
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens dies at 70
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Trader Joe's recalls 4 products in a week amid reports of rocks and insects inside food
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Emmys to be postponed for first time since after 9/11 due to strikes
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published