Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Recipient Who Held the Line

Nov 20 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Recipient Who Held the Line

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone, bullets ripping through the air like death itself was breathing down his neck. The Allies were pulling back across Normandy’s rolling hedgerows, and his squad was pinned—a raw, desperate line fading fast. With no orders left and the smoke choked thick, he made one hell of a choice: to cover their retreat with his own life.

The Making of a Soldier

Born in 1921, Charles was a farm boy from Selkirk, New York. A quiet kid—steady hands, steady heart. He joined the Army in 1942, drawn by duty but grounded by faith and family values. His core wasn’t forged in battle at first, but in the humble grit of everyday work and church pew Sundays.

DeGlopper carried himself with a solemn respect—not just for country, but for lives around him. The notion of sacrifice wasn’t abstract; it was personal. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” John 15:13 weighed heavy on his soul. He would live out those words with savage clarity.

The Battle That Defined Him

On June 9, 1944, four days after D-Day, DeGlopper’s unit—the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division—faced hell at theLingèvres crossroads. Their mission: to hold open a route and let the retreating company fall back safely. Enemy positions bristled with machine guns and sniper nests.

The order was clear: hold the line, or die trying.

DeGlopper stepped out first, in full view. His rifle tearing fire into the German machine gun nests. His role was clear to him—sacrifice the one for many. Over and over, he charged, drawing fire like a thunderstorm pulling lightning strikes.

He covered the withdrawing men, alone, as bullets shredded the earth around him.

Wounded and bleeding, DeGlopper forced back wave after wave of fire that would have crushed lesser men. Soldiers later recalled his voice, hoarse but resolute, ordering the retreating men forward under heavy fire. Charles didn’t just hold the line—he became the line.

Minutes stretched like hours. His comrades made it through. DeGlopper’s final act was a grenade he lobbed into one last machine gun nest before falling mortally wounded himself.

Honoring the Ultimate Sacrifice

For his courage, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the highest U.S. military decoration. The official citation doesn’t mince words:

“His single-handed defense against overwhelming numbers... enabled his battalion to withdraw and thereby saved many lives.” [1]

Brigadier General Maxwell Taylor, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, remarked:

“The valiant action of Private DeGlopper stands as a beacon of sacrifice and unyielding courage for all soldiers.” [2]

His name is etched on the Normandy battlefield and remembered in barracks, but it’s not just history; it’s a testament to the warrior’s soul.

Legacy in Blood and Bone

DeGlopper’s story isn’t just about valor—it’s a raw lesson in selflessness. Real courage is not absence of fear, but facing it while bearing the weight of others’ lives.

Every scar carries a story. His sacrifice echoes in the footsteps of every soldier who’s ever covered a neighbor’s withdrawal under hellfire.

Legacy isn’t about medals or ribbons, it’s about the fire left behind. DeGlopper’s flame burns for all who stand in the gap, for those who understand the cost of peace. His final act whispers this eternal truth: some debts are paid in blood so others might live free.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” — Isaiah 40:31

Charles DeGlopper’s wings caught fire over Normandy’s fields, but his spirit soars still—a call to courage, a prayer for redemption, a charge to every soul who hears the thunder of battle.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Citation: Charles N. DeGlopper” [2] Maxwell Taylor, Omaha Beach to Berlin: The 82nd Airborne Division in World War II