Charles DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Hero of Normandy

Nov 20 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Hero of Normandy

Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. stood alone, a handful of men behind him, sound swallowed by the roar of German fire. Every step forward was a choice between death and saving more lives. Without hesitation, he became a human shield—a single act of courage in a storm of bullets. His last stand wasn’t for glory. It was for the brotherhood of soldiers, the heavy price of duty etched in every heartbeat.

Background & Faith

Born in Mechanicville, New York, Charles grew up carrying the weight of mid-century American grit and small-town faith. His family anchored him in the belief that service—whether to God or country—carved meaning from sacrifice. This man was more than a soldier; he was a believer in something bigger than himself, a quiet code written deep inside, something like Romans 12:1, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

Before the war, he worked the family farm, tended machinery, lived simply. Those hands that grasped rifles knew honest labor. The church pews and the rifle range built the same steady resolve.

The Battle That Defined Him

When the 82nd Airborne dropped into Normandy on June 6, 1944, chaos immediately clawed the earth. DeGlopper’s unit, Company C of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, moved through hedgerows thick with death and smoke. It was July 18, near the village of La Fière. His platoon found themselves pinned, outnumbered, and bleeding.

The order came to retreat. The strongbacks pulled back, but the pressure on their flank threatened to rip the entire regiment apart.

DeGlopper volunteered to cover the withdrawal.

Armed with a single BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), he locked eyes with the enemy and opened fire. The German rifles spat bullets like thunder. He stood tall under relentless assault, mowing down advancing troops, forcing the enemy to hesitate, to rethink that choke point.

One by one, his comrades slipped away.

As he ran out of ammunition, DeGlopper turned the weapon into a club, kept fighting. Wounded, he fell finally, his body crushed beneath his own weapon. His last stand bought precious minutes that saved dozens—a shield forged in flesh and steel.

Recognition

His actions earned the Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously, a testament to raw, sacrificial valor. The citation reads:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Private First Class DeGlopper's gallant sacrifice in the face of almost certain death during the Normandy campaign, July 18, 1944, saved many lives."

Leaders and comrades spoke with reverence:

“He gave his life for his brothers. That kind of courage is rare, and it never dies,” said Colonel Matthew Ridgway.

DeGlopper's name remains a rallying cry—etched on the Normandy American Cemetery and etched deeper in the conscience of every paratrooper who followed.

Legacy & Lessons

Charles DeGlopper did not survive to see liberation. His final breath was a defiant roar against evil’s advance. His story is that of sacrifice sustained by faith, courage unmasked by fear, and an unyielding sense of duty.

The battlefield does not forgive hesitation. He chose action. He chose to make his stand, not for medals, but for men. His legacy reminds us that true valor is often silent—carried out in the shadow between life and death.

We honor him not just in monuments, but in the raw grit of those who take up the fight, bearing scars visible and hidden.

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

Charles DeGlopper’s sacrifice is a stark, blazing truth: Freedom’s price is paid by those who stand when no one else can. His valor—holy and brutal—haunts the fields of France and the hearts of all who dare to defend what is right. To remember him is to remember the cost of peace, and to carry forward his flame into every battle yet to come.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Stephen Ambrose, Citizen Soldiers, Simon & Schuster, 1997 3. Army Historical Foundation, 82nd Airborne Division Unit Histories 4. Department of Defense, Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor Citation