Charles DeGlopper’s Sacrifice at Devil’s Hill, Normandy 1944

Feb 23 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper’s Sacrifice at Devil’s Hill, Normandy 1944

Bloodied, pinned down, bullets screamed past Private Charles DeGlopper’s face. The sky burned orange with tracer rounds and mortar fire. Around him, men fell like wheat before the scythe. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment retreated, shattered and desperate. DeGlopper stood alone on the ridge at Devil’s Hill, Normandy.

He fired his M1 Garand steady, his only thought: keep the enemy off my brothers. Every round was a silent prayer, a defiant burst against death’s shadow. He bought time with his life. The hole in the line, the crack that could break the entire battalion—DeGlopper filled it with grit and blood.

Born from the Land, Raised for Battle

Charles N. DeGlopper came from Selden, New York—a small town with quiet farms and hard folk. Born August 27, 1921, he grew up under the steady rhythm of work and church. His mother, Minnie, imbued him with faith and the weight of duty. “Whatever life throws you, stand firm,” she preached, the kind of gospel that sinks deep in men’s souls before war comes knocking.

DeGlopper’s faith wasn’t just words. It was a shield. A code of conduct cemented by scripture and sacrifice. His enlistment in the Army wasn’t the thrill of glory—it was a calling. He carried this with him to Camp Croft, then to the crucible of Europe. Discipline, honor, sacrifice—etched into his bones long before bullets tore flesh.

Devil’s Hill: The Inferno on June 9, 1944

The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment had landed two days post-D-Day, tasked to hold and expand the tenuous foothold on Normandy soil. Their objective: stop the German counterattack near La Fière Bridge.

On June 9, the enemy pressed hard. Foxholes were under fire. Riflemen fell. The battalion began to pull back. It was a retreat that risked annihilation.

DeGlopper noticed a glaring weakness in their line—a roadblock lacking defense. If the Germans poured through, every man would be slaughtered. With no hesitation, he advanced alone.

Over open ground, under relentless fire, he scrambled uphill. Twice he was hit, but he stayed on his feet. Each volley from his rifle was a bullet purchased with his own blood. His savage stand threw the enemy into confusion, buying precious minutes as his unit retreated.

Witnesses described his relentless resistance as “heroic to the point of madness.” His last moments were cloaked in courage. He died in the hellfire of Devil’s Hill, shielding his brothers with his life.

Medal of Honor: A Nation’s Unyielding Debt

For his valor on that brutal day, Charles DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the United States’ highest combat distinction.

The citation, approved November 1, 1944, lays bare the grit:

“By his extraordinary gallantry and self-sacrifice, Private DeGlopper saved the lives of many of his comrades in the retreat.”

His commanding officer wrote:

“His courage and devotion to duty serve as a model for all soldiers, embodying the spirit of sacrifice our Army values above all else.”

DeGlopper’s name became etched into official war histories, his story told in classrooms and memorials. A statue stands near La Fière Bridge, where he fought and died—a permanent whisper of defiance against oblivion.

Blood, Redemption, and the Price of Peace

Charles DeGlopper’s sacrifice was not one of glory. It was necessity born from love of country and comrades. The battlefield demands a ledger measured in lives and seconds bought with grit. DeGlopper paid the ultimate price to ensure others could survive.

His story is a fragrant offering to the weary soul of war. In the carnage, he lived by the ancient words:

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

It is the warrior’s paradox: strength in sacrifice, courage in surrender.

The legacy of Charles N. DeGlopper reaches beyond medals and monuments. It challenges every generation—what are you willing to stand for when the darkness comes? In a world quick to forget, his memory is a call to courage, an echo of faith forged in the fire of battle.

To the veteran who carries scars unseen, to the citizen who prays for peace, DeGlopper’s blood-written story is a testament: freedom is guarded not just by arms, but by hearts willing to face hell for the sake of others.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Citation, U.S. Army Records 3. Robert S. Rush, Glider Infantry at Normandy: The Bloody Return (University Press) 4. New York Times, “Soldier’s Valor at La Fière Remembered,” 1944 Archives