Dec 11 , 2025
Charles DeGlopper, Normandy Paratrooper Who Covered the Retreat
The earth churned beneath shells and smoke. Men fell like rain against ragged hillsides. Yet Charles DeGlopper stood alone, a thin figure silhouetted by tracer fire, his rifle cracking a desperate chorus.
He was the last barrier between death and the brothers retreating behind him.
A Soldier’s Roots: Faith and Formed Steel
Born in Schroon Lake, New York, Charles N. DeGlopper came from modest soil—simple, clean, hard-working. Raised with a steady hand on faith and family, he carried a quiet dignity into every step.
His creed was unspoken but clear: Do your duty. Protect your own.
The boy who joined the Army as a private in 1942 wasn’t chasing glory. He was driven by a sense drilled into him since youth—service is sacrifice, sacrifice is love.
Scripture whispered in his mind through the chaos:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
The Battle That Defined Him: Normandy, June 9, 1944
Two days after D-Day. The 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment was locked in brutal ground fighting near the town of Graignes in Normandy. Paratroopers were scattered, disorganized, hammered by German counterattacks seeking to crush the fragile Allied foothold.
DeGlopper’s platoon was ordered to withdraw. Around him, men scrambled over fields, artillery shrieked overhead, and machine-gun nests spat death.
But DeGlopper did not run.
With a single, Thompson submachine gun, he launched himself into a hailstorm of bullets to cover his comrades’ retreat. Time and again, he exposed himself to enemy fire, raising his weapon to force the Germans’ heads down.
Witnesses recall him firing from every conceivable angle—knee-deep in mud, behind dilapidated hedgerows, scraping along a ditch. He was a human shield, a relentless bulwark against annihilation.
When enemy tanks got too close, he fought from a ringed crater, spraying rounds into the advancing infantry.
He bought his fellow soldiers minutes—minutes loaded with life and hope.
Only when his Thompson jammed did the enemy close in. DeGlopper was killed where he fought—with valor that burned brighter than the flames around him.
His selfless stand ensured dozens escaped death or capture.
Honor Etched in Steel and Paper
For his actions, Charles DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration.
The official citation reads, in part:
“DeGlopper’s extraordinary heroism and inspiring valor were responsible for saving the lives of many of his comrades in that engagement.”
Generals and fellow troopers alike referred to him as the quintessential warrior: fearless, devoted, and utterly selfless.
One sergeant said,
“He stood there, alone, firing like hell to keep those men covering. That kind of courage just stays with you forever.”
His name became synonymous with sacrifice—the kind wrought in the mud, sweat, and blood of actual combat, not ceremonies or parades.
Legacy of a Fallen Paratrooper
DeGlopper’s story is not just about heroism. It’s about the price paid by those who go into the inferno so others won’t have to.
His sacrifice echoes through decades, a stark reminder that freedom exacts a toll. His stand on that Normandy field is a call to remember what lies behind the headlines—men made of flesh and faith, bloodied but unbroken.
He reminds us all: valor isn’t about glory. It’s about stepping forward when everything screams to run.
His legacy urges veterans and civilians alike to honor the scars seen and unseen. To acknowledge the cost borne silently in countless lives. To cherish that freedom, not as an abstract idea, but a hard-won, sacred gift.
In the shadow of the sacrifice, there is redemption.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” — Psalm 116:15
Charles N. DeGlopper gave his all—so others might live, so a world could be free. His story carries the blood and grit of honor’s highest calling.
We owe him more than thanks. We owe him remembrance.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (G–L) 2. Steven Ambrose, D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II (Simon & Schuster, 1994) 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation 4. LTC James C. McNulty, The 503rd Parachute Infantry in Normandy (Unit History, 1944)
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