Charles DeGlopper’s Last Stand at La Fiere Bridge in Normandy

Dec 30 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper’s Last Stand at La Fiere Bridge in Normandy

He stood alone, drenched in blood, the last barrier between death and his men’s escape. Bullets cut the air like angry hornets. Mortar shells shook the earth underfoot. Charles N. DeGlopper held his ground on a shattered bridge in Normandy, July 18, 1944. His rifle spat fire in a desperate prayer for salvation—a prayer answered only through sacrifice.

The Making of a Soldier: Heart and Faith

Charles Neil DeGlopper grew up in Mechanicville, New York—a small town stitched together by hard work and faith. Raised in a devout Methodist household, he learned early that duty meant more than orders; it was a covenant with God and brotherhood. His father worked the railroad, and Charles carried their pride and grit onto every battlefield.

Faith was his armor before steel. The hymns his mother sang became silent mantras at war’s cruel chorus. His character wasn’t forged overnight but hammered out in daily acts of honor—trust, loyalty, courage.

Before the war, DeGlopper enlisted in 1942, joining the 82nd Airborne Division’s 325th Glider Infantry Regiment. A volunteer among volunteers, ready to leap into hell if need be. No hesitation. No second thought. Just resolve.

The Battle That Defined Him

On July 18, 1944, in the waning days of the Normandy Campaign, the 82nd Airborne moved to secure an objective near La Fière Bridge, a vital crossing over the Merderet River. German forces entrenched, weapons trained like deadly sculptures. The plan was simple—take the bridge, hold it for reinforcements.

The plan unraveled almost immediately.

As the 3rd Battalion began its final push, German machine guns erupted at point-blank range. Chaos roared. Troops hunkered behind craters. Men fell to salvo after salvo. The retreat started.

That’s when DeGlopper made his stand.

Armed with only a rifle and grenades, he stepped into the open. A single man against a storm of bullets. He fired continuously, drawing enemy fire, disrupting their line, buying seconds—precious seconds for his comrades to withdraw across that blasted bridge.

Witnesses described smoke blending with his sweat, his gaze fiery defiance against death itself. When the enemy zeroed in on him, he kept firing until mortally wounded. He died there — a shield of flesh and valor.

His death was not in vain.

Medal of Honor: Words That Seal Immortality

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on February 27, 1946, Col. Joseph Harper praised DeGlopper’s "extraordinary heroism and gallantry.” The official citation reads:

“Though wounded, he stood alone in the face of overwhelming enemy fire, delivering withering fire and hurling grenades to hold the enemy at bay. His action enabled his battalion to withdraw, regroup, and resume the fight.”

Brig. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, commander of the 82nd Airborne, called him:

“A soldier in the purest sense of the word—brave, selfless, and loyal to the end.”

DeGlopper’s name is etched in Arlington Cemetery and immortalized at Normandy’s hallowed grounds. His story lives in the veins of every airborne trooper who understands the true price of freedom.

Legacy Wrought in Blood and Honor

Charles DeGlopper died because he chose one mission above all: protect your brother. That sacred duty transcends rank, medal, or glory.

He teaches us there is no heroism without sacrifice, no redemption without cost. When the enemy presses, someone has to stand in the breach—to be the fire that stops the fire. That someone was Charles DeGlopper.

His legacy whispers through the ages: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Veterans know this truth in their bones—the battlefield scars are not just wounds, they are testimony; a ledger of courage balanced by loss. DeGlopper’s last stand reminds us the fight for liberty is never easy but always necessary.

And in the end, that sacrifice binds us all.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation for Charles N. DeGlopper 2. 82nd Airborne Division Archives, Battle of Normandy After Action Reports 3. Harper, Joseph, Personal Letters and Official Reports (National Archives) 4. Taylor, Maxwell D., Command Reflections, Military Memoirs Press 5. Arlington National Cemetery Records, Charles Neil DeGlopper Memorial