A son of the Illinois Quad Cities is being honored as a respected World War II hero who crashed through the glass roof of a greenhouse in France during the D-Day invasion and survived. The Rock Island Arsenal Museum is opening an exhibit in the name of Henry Langrehr, featuring about a dozen of his personal items that he kept and held close during the war and upon returning home.
“It’s a memorial exhibit to Henry, displaying a collection of his personal effects, including his uniform, dog tags, even a picture of his wife that he carried with him during the war and brought back,” said Maj. Kevin Braafladt, First Army public affairs director and command historian, in an interview with Military.com. “He’s from Clinton Island, about 45 minutes away from the arsenal, and his family still lives generally in the area. He’s one of our local heroes.”
First Army is headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal, and is the oldest and longest-established field of the U.S. Army. It is responsible for training, readiness, and mobilization of Army Reserve and National Guard units, preparing them for combat missions. First Army is a sponsor of the Henry Langrehr exhibit, which will run throughout the summer, displaying items donated by his family.
“We are giving him the recognition that he never really sought for himself. We got to know Henry and are honored to be able to show that we won’t forget him,” said Maj. Braafladt. “At First Army, we say a lot that we stand on the shoulders of giants. But what we really mean is all of our veterans. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Remembered As Greenhouse Glass Crasher
Langrehr died in April 2025 at the age of 100. He was only 19 when he jumped from a plane over France during the war, just after the plane lost a wing. That jump sent Langrehr crashing through the glass roof of a greenhouse. He survived, only to be captured by the German Army and then sent to work at a prison camp. He eventually escaped and found an American unit two weeks later, still wearing his torn and dingy D-Day uniform, almost a year after his capture.
“Henry’s story is just a slice of what all of our veterans who served have gone through,” said Maj. Braafladt. “He saw some incredible hardships, including being wounded and surviving the horrors of being a prisoner of war. And yet, he came home and integrated himself back into the community as a quiet and humble family man.”
With First Army’s help, at the age of 99, Langrehr returned to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and was able to retrace his steps back to the greenhouse he crashed through in June 1944. Along with his fellow veterans, Langrehr was hailed a hero in a Veterans parade through the streets.
“Over time, he became more open to talking about what he went through,” Major Braafladt said. “Otherwise, he was very shy about it, and we tried to be very respectful of that, only talking about what he wanted to talk about. It was up to him.”
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) released a statement upon Langrehr’s death last year, recalling his emotional greenhouse visit in Normandy.
“As he gazed at the greenhouse that afternoon, Mr. Langrehr had said simply: ‘I just wanted to see it one more time. I’ve seen it in my mind’s eye my entire adult life.’ There wasn’t a dry eye among anyone who witnessed it,” read the release from Rep. Miller-Meeks, which was obtained by Military.com.
Hometown Hero With Storied Military Career
“After the war, Mr. Langrehr returned to Clinton, where he became a successful small business owner. He married his hometown sweetheart and raised a family – including a son who would go on to serve two tours in Vietnam, as well as grandsons who would eventually serve in the very same 82nd Airborne unit Mr. Langrehr was with on D-Day.”
“Mr. Langrehr was a dear friend to First Army and the Rock Island Arsenal. He was a consistent presence at promotions and retirements; he spent the 75th anniversary of D-Day in First Army’s headquarters speaking to troops about his WWII service and time as a POW; he always cheered for Army at the annual RIA Army-Navy flag football game.”
Before his death, Langrehr wrote a book titled “Whatever It Took.” It was his first-person account of growing up in Clinton, joining the Army, surviving a brutal German work camp and returning home to Clinton to raise a family. Langrehr spent 77 years with his wife, Arlene, until her death in February 2023. They had four children. Langrehr’s story was also depicted in the 1962 film, “The Longest Day,” which featured his greenhouse glass parachute drop near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France.
“He came back and just reintegrated into everyday life,” said Braafladt. “He was a very quiet, very humble, very considerate person. He was also very shy about his service, shy about the recognition he was getting. But he was always very thankful.”
An exhibit dedication will take place on Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m. inside the Rock Island Arsenal Museum.
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