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| U.S. Navy LSTs and other vessels unloading at low tide at Normandy, soon after the June 1944 invasion. USS LST-55 is in the center, behind the closest barrage balloon. USS LST-61 is at right. |
Louis Marius Prevost, father of Pope Leo XIV, was a member of America’s “Greatest Generation,” whose courage helped shape both history and his own family’s future. Born in Chicago in 1920, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in his early twenties, right in the midst of World War II.
As a young officer, he served aboard a tank landing ship—one of the massive vessels designed to deploy armored vehicles directly onto hostile shores. His most defining moment came on June 6, 1944—D-Day—when his ship took part in the historic Allied invasion of Normandy. Despite the chaos, danger, and relentless enemy fire, Prevost and his crew helped deliver critical vehicles and troops that would go on to liberate Europe from Nazi control.
After the war, Louis returned home to Illinois, where he began a quiet but impactful life in education and faith-based service. He became a school superintendent and later a principal, influencing young minds not with weapons, but with wisdom. His devotion extended beyond the classroom, as he also taught Catholic catechism and remained active in his parish.
In 1949, he married Mildred Martinez, a librarian with a strong sense of purpose and service. Together, they raised three sons—including Robert Francis Prevost, who decades later would ascend to the papacy as Pope Leo XIV, the first pope born in the United States.
Louis Prevost's life story is one of courage, commitment, and faith—both on the battlefield and at home. His legacy lives on not only in the pages of history but also in the heart of the Church through his son, whose leadership is rooted in the values passed down from a father who led with honor.