Grand Rapids D-Day survivor turns 100

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Grand Rapids man who survived D-Day turned 100 on Wednesday.

Henry Pelak’s West Side neighborhood celebrated his birthday, along with members of the American Legion Riders, who showed up on big bikes.

Pelak was 19 on June 6, 1944, a member of the U.S. Navy, when he was part of the first wave — known as the spearhead of D-Day — that hit Omaha Beach in Nazi-occupied France.

He said he was on the first boat that carried Navy and Army combat demolition experts whose job was to blow up obstacles and clear the way for the infantry.

“Within maybe an hour or two, they were gone, they were gone,” he said of the demolition crew. “Everything was filled with gunfire, and everything else that the Germans had that they threw at us. Sad to say, the first wave, when I was involved with that, probably 90% were lost.”

He recalls two sailors in the water.

“They were running for their lives. Where were they going to run? Our boat was the only one there that could maybe save their lives, so I’m watching them. They’re rushing towards us, bullets and shells are flying everywhere. Why I didn’t get hit, I’ll never know. But all I know was to focus on those two sailors, got them into the boat,” Pelak remembered.

The invasion of Normandy, the largest seaborne invasion in history, marked the beginning of the end of World War II. The next year, Pelak got a commendation from the task force commander.

“Your meritorious performance of duty in landing the military and naval combat demolition units in the assault upon the Continent of Europe on 6 June 1944, is worthy of special commendation,” it reads. “As a member of the LCM crews whose duty it was to land these units as the spearheads of the amphibious assault, you exhibited exceptional discipline, skill and courage and thereby contributed to its success.”

On Wednesday, he teared up as he thanked well-wishers.

“So many happy people,” he said. “It makes me happy. Things are looking great for America. To see that many nice people doing things that make them happy, makes me happy.”

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