Charles DeGlopper Normandy Hero Who Saved His Comrades

Jan 01 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper Normandy Hero Who Saved His Comrades

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone against an unrelenting storm of lead—enemy machine guns screaming death, artillery ripping earth into shrapnel flakes. His squad was falling back, trapped, pinned by ruthless fire. No hesitation. No second thought. He charged forward, the last line of defense between his men and annihilation.

He died that day, but he bought his brothers time.

The Boy From Hudson Falls

Born January 27, 1921, Charles was an ordinary man shaped into a warrior by a quiet faith and an unshakable sense of duty. From Hudson Falls, New York, he grew up grounded in small-town grit and the steady light of conviction. Faith was the backbone, integrity the uniform.

His family’s roots dug deep into the soil of community and sacrifice. Charles carried that legacy into uniform. There was no room for cowardice or doubt. Only honor and an iron will to protect his own.

The Shattered Fields of Normandy

June 9, 1944. Three days after D-Day. The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment was pushing inland against German forces desperate to choke the invasion’s momentum. Somewhere near the town of Gourbesville, France, Charlie’s company was forced to withdraw from a road that was a killing zone under punishing fire.

Their retreat threatened by the enemy’s advance, Charles DeGlopper volunteered for a deadly task—to hold a vulnerable crossroad long enough for his squad to escape.

He stood amidst shells and bullets—a solitary figure blazing defiance into a hailstorm of musket and machine gun fire. He exposed himself deliberately to draw the Germans' deadly focus away from his comrades.

Shots tore into him. Twice, he fell and rose again. Legs faltering, chest wounded. He fired rifle rounds into the oncoming tide, holding the line solo, while death closed in like a shadow that could hear him breathing.

The final moment came under the shroud of smoke and blood—a fatal volley ended his watch, but not before the 2nd Battalion slid from the trap to safety.

Courage Etched in Bronze

Medal of Honor citation:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. His single-handed defense of a vital position prevented the enemy from overrunning friendly troops attempting to withdraw. His heroism was instrumental in saving many lives.”

His commander, Colonel James M. Gavin, called him:

“A man whose courage was unmatched, whose sacrifice echoes for all who value freedom.”

Posthumously awarded, the Medal of Honor was presented with solemn pride. Charles’s grave rests overseas, but his story travels home, carried by those who refuse to forget.

Legacy Written in Blood and Valor

Charles DeGlopper’s final charge is more than a chapter in history. It is a testament to what it means to be a brother in arms. To stand—though alone—against impossible odds, because others depend on you.

This is the cost of freedom etched into every battlefield scar.

His sacrifice was no mere act of war. It was redemption painted with the blood of selflessness, answered prayers whispered in muddy foxholes, and the unbroken spirit of a fallen soldier who refused to give ground.

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

We honor Charles DeGlopper not only in medals but in the fire he lit—a beacon of courage and faith that burns through the dark. For veterans and civilians alike, his story challenges us to wrestle with sacrifice, to wrestle with legacy.

No man fights alone when he carries that kind of heart.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. James M. Gavin, Airborne Warfare (Ballantine Books, 1979) 3. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation 4. Steven Zaloga, D-Day: The Battle for Normandy (Osprey Publishing, 2004)