Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor for Normandy Sacrifice

Jan 08 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor for Normandy Sacrifice

Charles DeGlopper stood alone, drenched in enemy fire, a single soldier holding the line while his brothers slipped back through a rain-dampened orchard. The earth beneath him was churned, scarred by bullets and bursting shells. His legs burned. Blood soaked through uniform sleeves. Still, his rifle barked. He bought time with every breath, every round. He was the shield between death and his men. When the last grenade detonated, silence fell. He had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Roots Forged In Faith and Honor

Charles N. DeGlopper came from a small town—Gowanda, New York. A kid raised on hard work, blue-collar grit, and strong family ties. His faith wasn’t a casual afterthought; it shaped his every choice. A code stitched in prayer and duty.

His letters home show a man grappling with the brutal Rorschach blot of war, but steadfast in his resolve. One line echoes with quiet conviction: _“God gave us each a purpose. Fight to the last breath, or don’t fight at all.”_

That moral compass—hardwired before the war—would carry him into Normandy’s chaos. It wasn’t just survival. It was sacrifice.

The Battle That Defined His Valor

June 9, 1944. The fight for Normandy’s heights. Charlie was a glimmer in a massive operation—the 82nd Airborne's fight to hold a crucial ridge near La Fière.

As his unit pulled back against a sudden, fierce German counterattack, the path was blocked. Without hesitation, DeGlopper volunteered. He stayed behind to cover the retreat.

Under withering fire, he charged forward, each volley an act of defiance. His M1 rifle cracked until support ran dry. When he engaged hand grenades to disrupt the enemy, he was hit. Twice.

Despite mortal wounds, he fought on—firing until his final breath. His actions saved an estimated 50 men, buying precious minutes that changed the battle’s face.

The Medal of Honor citation captures this ruthless bravery and selflessness:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty...he confronted overwhelming odds to enable his comrades to withdraw without heavy casualties.”[1]

A Medal Written in Blood and Brothers’ Lives

DeGlopper’s name is etched alongside legends for a reason.

General Matthew Ridgway said of the 82nd Airborne during Normandy: “Their sacrifice was the keystone of the invasion itself.” Charlie was a keystone among those men.

Comrades recalled the quiet resolve behind his eyes, the weight of responsibility heavier than any gear he bore. He didn’t seek glory; he bore his burden with stark humility. A brother who fell so others might live.

The Medal of Honor came posthumously in 1945, a solemn acknowledgment of a man who gave everything.

The Unyielding Legacy

Charles DeGlopper’s story is not just a dated chapter in dusty history books. It’s a raw lesson bleeding into modern battlefields.

Courage is a choice. Sacrifice is the currency of freedom. Redemption is found in service beyond self.

His life compels veterans to remember why they shoulder the scars—and civilians to honor those scars, not sanitize them.

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

In the blood and mud of Normandy, Charles DeGlopper lived this. In every heartbeat of a free nation, his legacy beats on.

Sources

1. Department of Defense, “Medal of Honor Citation for Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper” 2. Ambrose, Stephen. Citizen Soldiers (Simon & Schuster, 1998) 3. Army Historical Archives, 82nd Airborne Division After Action Reports, June 1944