World War II veteran Henry Ochsner, who stormed the Normandy beach on D-Day and fought through to the end of the conflict, has died at 96.
Ochsner, known as “Len,” died Saturday at his home in California City, California. He was well-known in his locality and was seen as a living symbol of “The Greatest Generation,” according to the Antelope Valley Press. He served with the 101st Airborne Division.
He received the Legion of Honor in 2017 alongside nine other fellow WWII veterans, the highest honor bestowed by France. Christophe Lemoine, general counsel to France in Los Angeles, presented him with the medal during a ceremony at Los Angeles National Cemetery.
“You left your homes and families to liberate us,” Lemoine said. “France will never forget you.”
In recalling his service during WWII and on D-Day, Ochsner recalled the fear that gripped him and other troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. “I didn’t think we were going to get out of there alive,” Ochsner said years later. “It was terrifying.”
In addition to fighting through D-Day, Ochsner participated in the Siege of Bastogne in Belgium, where his division was surrounded by Nazis during the Battle of the Bulge. Ochsner said that while in Bastogne, a German 88mm round hit a Jeep he had been trying to start before he leaped out of the way. Ochsner said that a small piece of shrapnel still hit his boot, resulting in what he described as “a scratch.”
Referring to the medal awarded for being wounded or killed in action, Ochsner said: “That’s as close as I came to a Purple Heart.”
Serving with the 321st Glider Artillery, he fought side-by-side with the legendary E Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was the subject of the acclaimed HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. The regiments fought their way to the Bavarian town Berchtesgaden, which housed one of Hitler’s residences dubbed the “Eagle’s Nest.”
Ochsner, who is originally from Montana, is survived by his wife, Violet. The couple recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. He is also survived by four daughters and two granddaughters.
