D-Day Anniversary and Connection to Pope Leo XIV

On the 81st anniversary of D-Day, a notable link between the Vatican and the US military has come to light. Louis Marius Pribre, father of Pope Leo XIV, served as a naval officer during the historic Normandy landings in 1944.

Born in Chicago in 1920, he joined the Navy in November 1943. On June 6, 1944, he held the position of executive officer aboard a tank landing ship during Operation Overlord, which marked the Allied invasion of France under Nazi occupation.

After his role in Normandy, Prevost commanded an infantry landing vessel in southern France, contributing to Allied efforts in August 1944.

Following the war, he returned to Illinois, eventually becoming the superintendent of Brookwood School District 167 and later the principal of Carmel Elementary in Chicago, where he also taught Christian doctrines.

Prevost married Mildred Agnes Martinez in 1949 and was elected Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, making history as the first American-born pope. Recently, he signed a baseball at the Vatican as a tribute to his long-standing support for the Chicago White Sox, his hometown team. The team honored him with a commemorative installation at their home field.

Although his father passed away in 1997, his legacy continues through Pope Leo XIV and the shared values of service and faith they uphold.