Charles DeGlopper D-Day Heroism and Medal of Honor Sacrifice

Feb 14 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper D-Day Heroism and Medal of Honor Sacrifice

Charles DeGlopper stood alone against the pounding hailstorm of German fire, fifteen damned soldiers falling back in his wake. Bullets tore the earth around him, ripping up everything except his fierce will to hold the line. This wasn’t about glory; it was about sacrifice. About buying time for brothers-in-arms to live another damn day.

A Son from Yonkers with Old-School Grit

Born in 1921, Charles N. DeGlopper came from humble roots in Yonkers, New York. Raised in a working-class family, he carried the quiet strength of a man who knew hard work was gospel. The values he learned were stitched into his character—faith in God, loyalty to comrades, and an unflinching sense of duty.

He was a believer, grounded in scripture and the code of honor that separates a man from a mere soldier. The Old Testament’s call to courage and sacrifice echoed in his heart:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

These words weren’t just for comfort; they were a battle standard he carried into hell.

The Battle That Defined Him: Operation Overlord, June 9, 1944

The scene was the hedgerow country of Normandy. The date: D-Day plus three. Charles was a Private First Class in Company C, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division—“The Big Red One.” The Americans had stormed the beaches, but the fight was far from over.

On June 9th, his platoon found itself pinned down near the flooded fields at La Fière. The German lines were pounding with machine-gun fire. The order came to pull back—a brutal reality every soldier knows: sometimes the fight requires retreat to live and fight again.

Rather than run, DeGlopper took a stand.

Armed with only an M1 rifle, he charged into the open to cover his comrades’ retreat. The air seemed to crack with every shot he fired, distracting the enemy and buying precious minutes. His action was reckless, yes. But it was deliberate. Each step forward was an act of defiance against death itself.

Witnesses later described how DeGlopper fired relentlessly, shouting and waving his weapon, becoming a human beacon of resistance in the chaos. When he finally fell, hit multiple times, he’d done what no man could ask for but every soldier prays for: saving lives at the ultimate cost.

Medal of Honor: Valor Written in Blood

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on November 1, 1944, DeGlopper’s citation reads like the raw truth of war:

“He made a one-man attack on an enemy machine gun emplacement, stubbornly charging despite withering fire and multiple wounds. His heroic action materially aided the withdrawal of his company and enabled many to live who might otherwise have died.”

Generals and comrades alike lauded his sacrifice. His commanding officer called DeGlopper a “true hero” whose courage was “beyond measure.” From the deepest trenches of D-Day’s aftermath, his story became a beacon—a reminder of the price exacted by freedom.

The Unyielding Legacy of a Fallen Warrior

Charles DeGlopper’s sacrifice is not just a footnote in history. His stand in France symbolizes the blood-wrought fabric of American grit. In battle, morality often blurs. Yet, DeGlopper’s actions were crystal-clear: loyalty to one’s men, embracing death over desertion, choosing the hard right over the easy wrong.

His legacy is built on the raw reality that war’s true heroes pay for our peace in full.

What does his story teach us?

That courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s action in spite of it. That true sacrifice demands leaving all plans behind but one: saving those who depend on you.

In a world too often numb to the cost of freedom, Charles DeGlopper’s blood-stained stand calls us back—calls veterans and civilians alike to remember and to uphold the fragile torch he bore.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

On a drowned field in Normandy, Charles DeGlopper lived this truth. His scars are eternal, etched by gunfire and faith. In every shadow of doubt, his story remains a fierce, fiery light for us all.