Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Recipient from Normandy

Oct 09 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Recipient from Normandy

Charles DeGlopper stood alone, his rifle blazing into an enemy swarm. His platoon was falling back behind him, smoke and screams piercing the air. Every step forward was a step toward death. Yet he never wavered. With each burst, he bought seconds—precious seconds—to save his brothers. Then the final bullet found him. They lost a soldier that day, but they saved a company. This was the cost of courage.

Roots Forged in Humble Soil

Charles N. DeGlopper came from a small town in New York—Greenville—where values ran as deep as the soil. Raised on hard work and quiet honesty, he carried those virtues into battle. Faith was his anchor. One brother recalls, “Charlie always talked about doing what was right, no matter the cost.” The boy from Washington Irving High School enlisted with fierce resolve, ready to serve. His Christian conviction shaped his understanding of sacrifice—as a calling, not a chore.

The Torrent at Normandy: Where Legends Are Born

June 9, 1944. Just days after D-Day, the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, waded into the hedgerow hell near Orchard, France. Their mission: seize and hold a crucial crossroads against a brutal German counterattack.

DeGlopper’s company found itself pinned down, under fire from enemy machine guns and riflemen. The order came clear: retreat. But retreating under that withering barrage meant slaughter. To cover the withdrawal, DeGlopper made a final stand.

Witnesses recount a singular figure advancing alone, firing repeatedly at the enemy, drawing fire away from his comrades. His weapon jammed twice, but he cleared each malfunction and pressed on. Equipped with only a rifle and the will to live beyond himself, he absorbed the enemy’s fury like a shield.

He was struck down, but not before enabling nearly an entire company to escape annihilation.

Medal of Honor: A Testament Written in Blood

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, DeGlopper’s citations tell the truth of his sacrifice:

“By his gallantry and intrepid fighting spirit in the highest traditions of the Armed Forces, he made it possible for his company to accomplish its mission and live to fight another day.”

General Matthew Ridgway, 82nd Airborne’s commander, praised him as “a hero who gave his life to save others.” Fellow paratroopers carried his legacy forward, recounting how one man’s resolve held a line against impossible odds.

Beyond Valor: Lessons Etched in Time

Charles DeGlopper’s story is not just one of battlefield bravery. It’s a stark reminder that sacrifice demands more than courage—it demands love for the man next to you, a willingness to bleed for others to live.

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

His final act speaks across decades: honor is forged in the fire of sacrifice, and legacy is carved by those who refuse to let fear define their last stand.

Today, DeGlopper’s name adorns memorials and buildings not to glorify death, but to remind us why we refuse to forget.

He died so others might live. That is the brutal, beautiful truth of combat.

Remember him. Carry the torch. Live in such a way that when the day comes to stand firm—no matter the cost—you will stand in his footsteps.

This is the debt we owe.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Ambrose, Stephen E., Citizen Soldiers, Simon & Schuster 3. 82nd Airborne Division Association, 82nd Airborne Division History and Records 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation