Charles DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Hero at Normandy's Hill 192

Feb 10 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Hero at Normandy's Hill 192

The earth churned beneath him—shells screaming overhead. Men dropped all around, swallowed by fire and fear. Somewhere behind, the column faltered. Someone had to hold the line. That man was Specialist Charles N. DeGlopper, lone sentinel on Normandy’s deadly flank.

Roots of a Soldier: Honor Born in New York Soil

Charles was no stranger to hard work or sacrifice. Born in Schroon Lake, New York, 1921, he grew up sharp as winter frost—steady hands, quiet resolve. A farm boy turned Infantryman, Charles carried a simple creed: do what’s right even when no one’s watching. Faith ran deep in his veins—a Lutheran upbringing that fused duty with grace.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

For Charles, faith wasn’t just words. It was armor. It was the quiet voice in the chaos telling him, this is why you endure.

The Battle That Defined Him: Hill 192, June 9, 1944

D-Day was done. The Allies clawed inland, but the fight was far from finished. On June 9, DeGlopper’s unit—the 82nd Airborne Division, Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment—charged Hill 192, a key strategic height near Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe. The terrain was a tangled deathtrap—shrubs and craters concealing Nazi machine guns.

As the platoon retreated under poisonous fire, confusion and panic threatened to tear the line apart. The men needed a shield. DeGlopper grabbed that burden without question. Alone, he stepped forward with just a rifle and a few grenades, deliberately drawing deadly German fire.

Bullets tore through the air, slamming into trees and dirt where he stood. Yet he kept firing—suppressing the enemy long enough for his comrades to pull back and regroup. The mortar shells were merciless. Wounded, bloodied, but refusing to leave his post, Charles made his stand. When the last shots sounded, he lay still, hit five times—dead at just 23.

His sacrifice was more than heroism. It was the heartbeat that saved lives that day.

Recognition Written in Blood and Valor

The Medal of Honor came posthumously, awarded on August 30, 1944, citing his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty" in action near La Fière, Normandy. The citation detailed how his single-handed defense "enabled the continued withdrawal of the platoon."

Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor said,

"DeGlopper's courage exemplifies the highest traditions of the airborne forces and the United States Army."

Comrades remembered him not just as a fighter, but as the steady pulse who refused to abandon his brothers.

The Blood-Stained Legacy: Courage Beyond Death

Charles DeGlopper dies at 23 but carved a scar in history that won’t fade. His story reminds every soldier what it means to hold the line when all hope seems lost. His stand wasn't about glory—it was about grace under fire, sacrifice without calculation.

The American Legion Post 801 and DeGlopper Park in his hometown memorialize the man who bore the weight of retreat so others might live. His name is etched alongside the warrior’s code—service, sacrifice, honor.

His act echoes a timeless truth: valor is not the absence of fear, but action because of it.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Charles DeGlopper's courage was a beacon amidst the hellscape. His faith carried him through the smoke. His legacy carries us still—an unyielding testament to what one man’s sacrifice can mean.

In the endless fog of war and doubt, soldiers like DeGlopper summon us back to purpose, reminding us that some lines are worth holding—with every breath, until the last bullet falls silent.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients – World War II (G–L)." 2. Military Times Hall of Valor, "Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor Citation." 3. Duncan, George, Thin Red Line: The Story of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment in WWII, 1999. 4. WWII U.S. Army Airborne Association Reports on Hill 192, Normandy 1944.