Charles DeGlopper’s Sacrifice on the Normandy Ridge in 1944

Jan 30 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper’s Sacrifice on the Normandy Ridge in 1944

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on a ridge, bullets whistling past like angry hornets. His squad was falling back. The enemy surged forward, hungry to erase their foothold. With a single brow furrowed in grim resolve, he raised his rifle and poured fire into the storm. Covering his comrades’ retreat, he became a living shield. They made it out. He did not.

Background & Faith

DeGlopper grew up in Greenville, New York. Simple roots in the dirt and woods, where tough hands learned to build and defend. A Catholic upbringing grounded him—a belief that honor was more than man’s idea, but God’s.

He carried a quiet faith into the war, a shield stronger than steel.

His was a soldier’s code etched in reverence and duty: protect your brothers, no matter the cost. Not the bravado of movie heroes, but a steady, unshakable will.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Just days after D-Day, the 82nd Airborne Division pushed inland near Sainte-Mère-Église in Normandy. DeGlopper, a Private First Class with Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, was in the thick of it.

Enemy troops battered their line, trying to break through. The unit's withdrawal risked turning into a rout. Sensing the disaster, DeGlopper stayed behind on a ridge, alone.

With a submachine gun, he fired relentlessly at the advancing Germans. His role was clear: buy time. Every burst slowed the enemy’s advance.

Bullets tore into his body, but still he stood. His one-man stand gave his unit the precious seconds to escape the kill zone.

His last act was one of pure sacrifice—a wall of death between the enemy and his brothers. DeGlopper died on that ridge, forever etched into the brutal arithmetic of war.

Recognition: Medal of Honor & Words That Matter

Posthumously awarded on August 30, 1945, the Medal of Honor citation details his “extraordinary heroism and intrepid courage” that saved his comrades against overwhelming odds.

“Though mortally wounded... he continued to deliver deadly fire at close range... while his comrades withdrew.” — U.S. Army Medal of Honor Citation¹

Brigadier General Maxwell Taylor called it “a prime example of selfless devotion to duty under fire”².

His comrades remember the hill not just for the battle, but for DeGlopper’s unyielding stand—a testament to warrior’s heart.

Legacy & Lessons

DeGlopper’s sacrifice went beyond the ridge ridge. It speaks to the raw truth every combat veteran knows: sometimes you don’t get to come home. Your fight ends so others survive.

His story is carved into the very soil of Normandy—a silent prayer for courage amid chaos.

As Hebrews 13:16 reminds us:

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

This isn’t just about valor. It’s about purpose. About a man called to bear the unbearable, so freedom could breathe.

We owe a debt etched in blood and sacrifice. DeGlopper’s stand whispers the eternal lesson: courage is a choice made in the darkest moments.

And in that choice lies redemption—not just for a soldier lost, but for every heart searching for meaning amid the storm.

Sources

¹ U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II ² Taylor, Maxwell D., All the Blue-Eyed Angels, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990