Charles DeGlopper’s Normandy sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Dec 20 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper’s Normandy sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Bullets ripped the morning air. Smoke choked visibility—men falling, screaming, caught in hell’s tight grip. Charles N. DeGlopper didn’t hesitate. With grim fire burning in his eyes, he stepped out alone, an island amid chaos. His mission was clear: cover the 36th Infantry Division’s retreat across the E-Boat-infested Elbe River. No glory. No second chance. Just sacrifice.

Blood and Baptism: The Making of a Warrior

Born May 23, 1921, in Schroon Lake, New York, Charles was forged by hard work and faith. Raised in a farming family, the land taught him endurance, the church instilled his moral compass. A man of quiet strength and conviction, DeGlopper carried a soldier’s humility and a believer’s grace into the war.

His faith wasn’t just words. It was armor. Colleagues remembered a man who whispered "Psalm 23" before patrols, grounding himself in the shepherd's protection against shadowed foes. His creed was simple: serve others, protect your brothers—not for medals, but because it was right.

The Battle That Defined a Hero: Normandy, July 18, 1944

The Allies surged inland after D-Day, but the German resistance did not yield easily. At the village of La Fière in Normandy, the 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Division, fought tooth and nail to hold the west bank of the Merderet River. They found themselves pinned, under relentless artillery and machine-gun fire.

The order came: retreat across the river.

Covering a withdrawal is hell’s work. DeGlopper rose, rifle blazing single-handedly at a fortified German machine-gun nest that hammered his fellow soldiers. He moved forward, slow and deliberate, drawing enemy fire away from his friends.

Hit multiple times, staggering, he refused to fall. His body became a bulwark — each shot absorbed, each breath a battle. His sacrifice bought precious minutes for his unit to cross the bridge and secure their lines.

Silence fell only when he ceased firing. He died on that muddy riverbank. But his act saved lives. His last stand was not just combat; it was love borne in blood.

Valor Etched in Bronze and Words

For this supreme act of selflessness, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on November 1, 1945. The citation calls his bravery “intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” It details his determination to "hold off a counterattack" despite "frenzied fire," allowing his comrades to escape deadly envelopment.[1]

Lt. Col. Robert T. Edgerton, his commanding officer, described DeGlopper as “the kind of man who gave you faith in victory because he never gave up.” Comrades recalled a man who stayed calm amid the storm, embodying the warrior’s spirit and the servant’s heart.

His name now marks a WWII destroyer, USS DeGlopper (DD-710), a steel testament to his legacy, sailing into history’s cold seas with his courage riding every wave.

Legacy: The True Measure of Sacrifice

Charles DeGlopper’s story is not a distant chapter. It is alive in every veteran who faces chaos and chooses sacrifice over self.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

His life teaches the brutal calculus of war, where victory costs blood and brotherhood demands the ultimate price.

DeGlopper’s courage reminds us that valor is not loud or flashy. It’s the quiet refusal to quit, the willingness to stand exposed when all hope funnels through one life. It’s grace—redeemed in sacrifice.

In a world too quick to forget the cost of peace, Charles N. DeGlopper’s blood calls out across the years. He wasn’t just a soldier; he was a shield. An ordinary man with extraordinary resolve. His story remains a ledger in the book of sacrifice—a soul’s final gift to the brotherhood of battle, to America, and to the grace that endures beyond the gunfire.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Richard E. Killblane, The Brevity of Courage: Battle Stories from the 45th Infantry Division in World War II 3. Naval History and Heritage Command, USS DeGlopper (DD-710) 4. 45th Infantry Division Association, Official Unit History