McHugh and the First Infantry Division (also known as Big Red One) arrived in landing craft at Omaha Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, at 7:30am.[2] McHugh and roughly 10 soldiers disembarked. As soon as they exited the landing craft, it was destroyed by a German shell. McHugh had been assigned to carry a tripod for a machine gun, however the soldier carrying the machine gun was killed in action so McHugh began crawling up the beach without a weapon. He spent the day in the sand avoiding German gunfire.[3][4]
Referring to his own experience on D-day, McHugh said, "It's hell day, it really is a hell day. Scared stiff, petrified and running like hell… It was a lot of bodies around, I didn't want to be one of them.”[5] His experience has been cited as emblematic of the dire experiences and vanishing memories of D-Day vets.[4] McHugh sent the money that he earned in the army to his mother (Catherine); his father John was deceased.[6]
McHugh died in his sleep 21 July 2019 at his home in Whitestone, New York.[8] His hometown Whitestone New York approved a street co-named in honor of McHugh in 2019.[9][7]
After World War II ended, John McHugh Sr. returned to the United States and married his childhood sweetheart Rosie McGee on 16 August 1947. Together they had three sons: John, Brian and Tim.[1] He had three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.[6]