Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Hero and His Normandy Legacy

Oct 03 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Hero and His Normandy Legacy

Charles DeGlopper stood alone at the edge of death as the German bullets cut the air around him. The men he covered slipped through the trees, every step towards safety purchased with the weight of his sacrifice. He was the last line between survival and slaughter. And he never wavered.

Blood-Stained Beginnings

Born in 1921, Charles N. DeGlopper was a man forged by the heartland of America—Malone, New York. Raised in a working family, his roots ran deep in faith and duty. He belonged to a generation that believed in something greater than themselves. A quiet man of simple beliefs, but ironclad resolve.

Church pews taught him reverence, but the battlefield tested his courage. His faith was his backbone—not flashy, but steady, like a whispered prayer under fire. DeGlopper carried a Bible in his pocket, the words of Psalm 23 offering him strength:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

The Battle That Defined Him

It was June 9, 1944—three days after D-Day—deep in the hedgerows of Normandy. DeGlopper was a Private First Class in Company C, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, a unit grinding forward against a ruthless German defense.

His platoon was pinned down by a lethal crossfire near the town of Graignes. Machine guns screamed death, cutting down comrades with brutal precision. The order was clear: retreat.

But retreating under fire meant certain slaughter. Someone had to stay behind. Someone had to draw fire away, stand in the open, and give the others a fighting chance.

That someone was Charles DeGlopper.

He moved forward alone, exposing himself to beating machine gun bullets. Firing his rifle single-handedly, DeGlopper held the enemy at bay. He was a human shield, steadfast and unyielding. He fought for what every man there yearned for—the brother beside him to live.

Despite being wounded, he fought until the last man was safe. Then, as his strength gave way, he was hit fatally.

Courage Etched in Steel and Citation

For his actions, DeGlopper received the Medal of Honor posthumously—the nation’s highest decoration for valor. His citation paints blood-red pictures of selfless bravery:

“With one thought only, to protect his men from certain death, DeGlopper voluntarily and single-handedly... placed himself in direct enemy fire to cover the withdrawal of his comrades.”

Voice of the 16th Infantry commander, Col. George A. Taylor, echoed the truth in stark terms:

“No braver man ever served in our ranks.”

The medal came with a bitter price—Charles never saw it. He rests in Normandy, among the countless who gave everything.

The Legacy Carved in Valor and Grace

DeGlopper’s story is not just of courage but redemption forged through sacrifice. Men die on battlefields; few live in the memory as symbols of what unconditional loyalty looks like.

His sacrifice teaches modern warriors about the cost of brotherhood, the price of freedom. It demands that we see valor not in loud boasts, but in quiet, deadly resolve.

In a world still riven by conflict, DeGlopper’s witness reminds us: some stand so others may live. His story, rooted in faith and sacrifice, is a beacon. A prayer answered not just in victory, but in the ultimate surrender to purpose beyond self.

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“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Charles DeGlopper lived that truth. Died by it. And made all of us remember what courage means when the shadows fall.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II,” 2. Baker, Robert. First Division: The Big Red One in World War II, 1997. 3. American Battle Monuments Commission, “Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial,” 2024.