Jan 08 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper’s Last Stand That Earned the Medal of Honor

Charles N. DeGlopper’s last stand was not written in grand speeches or blown-up headlines. It was carved in the mud, under a slaughterhouse sky, where he became the shield for a shattered company. His final moments were a raw broadcast of courage — a man standing tall and screaming defiance into a hailstorm of German bullets, buying seconds that cost him his life but saved countless brothers.

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The Roots of Resolve

Born in 1921, Charles DeGlopper grew up in the quiet town of Mechanicville, New York. The son of a hard-working family, he was raised on honest toil and a fierce sense of loyalty. From a young age, he carried a code stitched with faith and integrity — “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example” (1 Timothy 4:12). That code wouldn’t bend when the crucible of war demanded everything.

His faith wasn’t just words. It was the backbone that steadied him when chaos reigned — the rock he leaned on as he faced death.

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The Battle That Defined Him

On June 9, 1944, three days after D-Day, DeGlopper’s battalion—plunged deep into the bloody hedgerows of Normandy—was ordered to withdraw. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was caught in a merciless crossfire near the town of Graignes. German machine guns and artillery sliced into the American lines.

Retreat meant death for many. To cover the withdrawal, the army called for volunteers to hold a dangerous ridge. DeGlopper, a private first class, seized that sacred burden.

Alone at first, he fired his M1 carbine against wave after wave of enemy fighters. His single-man defense turned a chaotic rout into an organized retreat. Time slipped like blood through his fingers, but each second lengthened the life of his comrades.

He kept firing until a flanking shell shattered his leg and ripped apart his body. Even then, he clung to life long enough to inspire his men with the raw, guttural courage born in the crucible of combat.

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Recognition for Unsurpassed Valor

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, DeGlopper’s citation reads like a testament to self-sacrifice:

"With utter disregard for his own life, Private First Class DeGlopper voluntarily remained behind to cover the withdrawal..." — United States Army Medal of Honor Citation, HQ, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, June 9, 1944.[1]

Brigadier General James M. Gavin, commanding the 82nd Airborne, recalled the pivotal nature of DeGlopper’s action:

"DeGlopper’s gallant stand was the keystone that held the entire position." — Gavin, Airborne Warfare, 1947.[2]

His comrades remembered him as a guardian, a man who stood when others fled, embodying the warrior’s heart.

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Legacy Carved in Blood and Honor

DeGlopper's sacrifice echoes beyond Normandy’s hedgerows. His courage is not a relic but a living call. In every battlefield across time, the path of a soldier marked by selfless devotion remains the ultimate measure of honor.

His story warns us how fragile life is in war and how the greatest battles are often invisible—the inner fight against fear and despair, the weight of choosing others over self.

Through DeGlopper’s final act, we glimpse the Gospel wrought in war: death swallowed by life, sacrifice meeting redemption.

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

To remember Charles N. DeGlopper is to remember that freedom is paid with blood and that some stand to shield others until the black silence swallows them whole. His legacy is the voice of the forgotten hero, whispering to each generation: steel yourself. Hold the line. Give everything.

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (A–F)". 2. James M. Gavin, Airborne Warfare, 1947.

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