Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Born into the Great Depression, Henry Langrehr knew what it was like to be poor. So when he left school to join the war in 1942, the extra 'jump pay' was incentive enough for Henry to join the paratroopers. He would serve with the 82nd Airborne Division from D-Day to V-E Day.
At 19-years-old, Henry Langrehr was among the first to jump feet first into France behind enemy lines. His drop zone was the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise where Henry would crash through the glass roof of a greenhouse in what he described as a "rough landing". Langrehr, along with others from the 82nd would achieve their objective and secure the town and surrounding bridges.
Henry spent the next few weeks fighting hedgerow-to-hedgerow in some of the most harrowing close-quarters fighting of the war. During this fighting he would be wounded by shrapnel from a German tank and taken prisoner. After receiving medical attention from German doctors, Langrehr was sent to work slave labor in a Czechoslovakian coal mine.
Langrehr would conduct a daring escape from the mines and spend weeks on the run evading the Germans searching for him. Eventually the allied advance caught up to where Langrehr was hiding and he was rescued.
Interview recorded on May 30, 2022
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Support the American Veterans Center's mission to preserve the legacy and history of our heroes by making a tax-deductible donation today: americanveteranscenter.org/donation-form
Learn more about the American Veterans Center: americanveteranscenter.org
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/americanveteranscenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/AVCupdate
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/americanveteranscenter
Subscribe to the Veterans Chronicles podcast: link.chtbl.com/americanveteranscenter?sid=youtubedescription
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Video Credits:
Interviewer - Greg Corombos
Editor - Daniel Taksas
Pinnacle | Creative Visual Strategies
DP/Cam Op - Jon Hambacker
Born into the Great Depression, Henry Langrehr knew what it was like to be poor. So when he left school to join the war in 1942, the extra 'jump pay' was incentive enough for Henry to join the paratroopers. He would serve with the 82nd Airborne Division from D-Day to V-E Day.
At 19-years-old, Henry Langrehr was among the first to jump feet first into France behind enemy lines. His drop zone was the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise where Henry would crash through the glass roof of a greenhouse in what he described as a "rough landing". Langrehr, along with others from the 82nd would achieve their objective and secure the town and surrounding bridges.
Henry spent the next few weeks fighting hedgerow-to-hedgerow in some of the most harrowing close-quarters fighting of the war. During this fighting he would be wounded by shrapnel from a German tank and taken prisoner. After receiving medical attention from German doctors, Langrehr was sent to work slave labor in a Czechoslovakian coal mine.
Langrehr would conduct a daring escape from the mines and spend weeks on the run evading the Germans searching for him. Eventually the allied advance caught up to where Langrehr was hiding and he was rescued.
Interview recorded on May 30, 2022
----------------------------------------------------------------
Support the American Veterans Center's mission to preserve the legacy and history of our heroes by making a tax-deductible donation today: americanveteranscenter.org/donation-form
Learn more about the American Veterans Center: americanveteranscenter.org
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/americanveteranscenter
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/AVCupdate
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/americanveteranscenter
Subscribe to the Veterans Chronicles podcast: link.chtbl.com/americanveteranscenter?sid=youtubedescription
----------------------------------------------------------------
Video Credits:
Interviewer - Greg Corombos
Editor - Daniel Taksas
Pinnacle | Creative Visual Strategies
DP/Cam Op - Jon Hambacker
