Pope Leo XIV’s Father Helped Land U.S. Troops at Omaha Beach on D-Day

On May 8, as white smoke billowed above the Sistine Chapel, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, the Catholic Church celebrated a significant event: Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago was elected Pope Leo XIV, marking history as the first American to assume the papacy.

However, the event was not the first occasion that a member of the Prevost family played a role in history. Eight decades prior, the father of the new pope, Louis M. Prevost, played a significant role in bringing American troops to the shores of Nazi-occupied France during the crucial D-Day invasion.

At the age of 23, Ensign Louis Prevost was on duty aboard the LST-286, a U.S. Navy Landing Ship, Tank. On June 6, 1944, the ship was assigned to land the 5th Special Engineer Brigade and the 16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division at Omaha Beach—a sector of the Normandy coast known for its heavy fortifications.

War correspondent Ernie Pyle captured the turmoil of the landing zone in his book Brave Men: “There was another and more human litter … Those who fought and died to secure our entrance into Europe would never need such gear again.

LST-286 completed several journeys across the English Channel that day, ferrying hundreds of men and equipment to the beachhead—and returning over 850 wounded troops to England by nightfall. Prevost’s commanding officer commended his performance, stating he managed his responsibilities “very satisfactorily.”

Louis Prevost, born in 1920, pursued his studies in political science at Central YMCA College in Chicago before joining the Navy’s officer training program in 1942. His pastor characterized him as “a devoted Catholic and a young man of strong character and consistent habits.” He received his commission in 1943 and was deployed to Europe soon thereafter.

After D-Day, Prevost’s ship participated in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. Allied forces successfully secured the crucial ports of Toulon and Marseille, marking a significant logistical achievement that bolstered the broader European campaign.

By May 1945, Prevost had taken command of LCI(L)-188, a landing craft operating in the Mediterranean. Following the war, he remained in the Naval Reserve until 1956 and subsequently took on the role of a public-school administrator in Chicago.

He passed away on November 8, 1997, leaving a legacy of service that resonates in the global spiritual leadership of his son, Pope Leo XIV.