06/06/2026
Today marks the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Nearly 160,000 Allied troops took part in the landings that would become a turning point in the war.
Among them was Muenster native and paratrooper Alphonse Felderhoff, who served with the 101st Airborne Division. At 12:30 AM on June 6, 1944, Felderhoff and his fellow soldiers began their invasion of Normandy, France.
Just two days later, on June 8, he was wounded in action. In a letter to his parents, Felderhoff wrote: “I am OK. Was shot through the arm by a German, who missed the bone. There is nothing to worry about. I was with the invasion troops on June 6 and got to stay in the fight for two days before getting shot.”
Felderhoff was one of many Americans who took part in the D-Day invasion. His participation, along with that of thousands of others, contributed to the Allied effort to establish a foothold in Western Europe during World War II.