Charles DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Recipient Who Helped Hold La Fière

Jan 07 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Recipient Who Helped Hold La Fière

Charles DeGlopper stood alone on a shattered ridge, the din of war crashing around him. Bullets tore the air, machine guns raked the earth where his brothers retreated. He had one mission: cover that retreat. No hesitation. No retreat for him. He became the shield between death and the men behind him.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in Yonkers, New York, Charles N. DeGlopper was a son of modest means and steadfast values. Raised in a devout Catholic family, faith was more than words—it was armor. "Greater love hath no man than this," he surely would have reflected, living that scripture before his final breath.

Before the war, DeGlopper was a laborer, a regular American whose heart beat steadily behind quiet conviction. When 1942 called, he answered—not out of glory or fame, but because duty demanded a price, and he was ready to pay it.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. The days after D-Day’s initial storm. The 82nd Airborne Division pushed toward a crucial bridge at La Fière in Normandy. Men bled; the fight was savage and brutal—snipers, artillery, machine guns hidden in ruins.

Charles was a private in Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment. As his unit fell back under fierce fire, chaos threatened to swallow them whole. The objective: hold the line just long enough for his comrades to regroup.

Alone, armed with a rifle and unwavering resolve, DeGlopper stood exposed atop an open slope. Enemy fire hammered him from front and both flanks. He fired volley after volley, drawing their eyes, their rage, their bullets. Every shot was a prayer answered in defiance.

Hit multiple times, he fell, but his sacrifice stalled the enemy advance and saved his squad. The bridge would remain in American hands because of him.

Heroism Etched in Bronze

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on June 18, 1945, DeGlopper’s citation leaves no room for question:

"Private First Class DeGlopper voluntarily held an exposed position alone against an overwhelming enemy force... His gallantry, intrepidity, and self-sacrifice was an inspiration to his comrades in arms and contributed materially to the success of his company’s mission."

Brigadier General James M. Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne, remarked on the courage of men like DeGlopper who carried the burden of war on scarred shoulders. These warriors weren’t looking for medals— they expected only to do what was right, even if it meant death.

Legacy Woven Through Blood and Silence

Charles DeGlopper’s name cannot be spoken without reverence. His story is stitched into every whisper of sacrifice, every grimace of loss, every steady heartbeat of a brother who survived. The old ridge at La Fière remains a silent memorial.

His example reminds us that valor does not always roar. Sometimes it stands alone in the bullets' storm, unyielding. It teaches us that redemption often comes in the cost paid by one for many.

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces.” – Isaiah 25:8

In every man and woman who stands ready to face the night, Charles DeGlopper’s spirit lives on—an ember of fierce love, relentless sacrifice, and faith unwavering in the face of hell.

Sources

1. United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. 82nd Airborne Division Association, History of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment in Normandy 3. Steven Ambrose, Citizen Soldiers, Simon & Schuster, 1997