Charles DeGlopper, Normandy hero and Medal of Honor recipient

Dec 20 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper, Normandy hero and Medal of Honor recipient

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone against a wall of bullets. The roar of artillery smashed the air. His brothers-in-arms were pulling back, a fractured line bleeding out under German fire. No hesitation. No orders left. Just one man holding the line, sowing chaos into enemy ranks with a rifle and grit.

He bought them time. They lived. He died.

Background & Faith

Charles was the son of modest means, growing up in New York’s farming country. His life shaped by hard work and simple values—duty, honor, faith. A quiet patriot with steel beneath calm eyes.

Raised Methodist, Charles held close the lessons of Scripture. Not the flashy kind. The kind that stays in the marrow. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

This would be the compass through the hell to come.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Normandy’s brutal bocage.

DeGlopper served with the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Tasked with seizing a strategic ridge near the village of Graignes, his company found itself pinned and battered. The Germans countered fierce and fast.

As the company retreated, DeGlopper volunteered to stay behind, covering that desperate withdrawal. His rifle sang steady death in the face of an advancing enemy force. Five German machine-gun positions. One man.

Each burst bought precious moments. His comrades scrambled to safer ground, heart pounding, terror raw and vivid. DeGlopper never faltered. Until a fatal burst ended his stand.

His sacrifice sealed the safety of dozens. Not a name on a glorified monument, but inked in the blood and memory of surviving kin.

Recognition

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest American combat decoration. The citation reads:

“With complete disregard for personal safety, DeGlopper advanced on the enemy positions alone, holding them at bay. His gallantry and sacrifice contributed directly to the success of his unit’s mission and saved many lives.”

Maj. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne, later called DeGlopper’s action, “the finest single act of bravery I witnessed in the war.”

A tribute carved in steel and soul. The kind that echoes beyond medals.

Legacy & Lessons

DeGlopper’s story is not just a footnote in a history book. It is a blazing testament to the blood price of freedom—a raw portrayal of courage under crushing weight. The warrior who chooses self over safety embodies the warrior’s truth: sacrifice is sometimes the ultimate weapon.

His faith and fight melded into a singular act of redemption—a moment where human frailty found divine courage.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...” (Hebrews 12:1)

Today, in quiet reflection, veterans see themselves in DeGlopper’s eyes—a mirror of resolve and scars that time cannot erase. Civilians glimpse the true cost behind liberty’s glare, beyond the flags and speeches.

Charles N. DeGlopper did not seek glory. He gave his life so others could live. That is the hardest honor. That is the lasting legacy.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Steven E. Clay, US Army Order of Battle, 1941-1945, Combat Studies Institute Press 3. Maj. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, quoted in Rick Atkinson, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944–1945