Nov 04 , 2025
Charles DeGlopper’s Sacrifice That Earned the Medal of Honor
Charles DeGlopper stood alone in the open, battered by a storm of bullets. His rifle cracked loud and fierce, a desperate beacon to hold off the flood of German soldiers bearing down on his brothers. Every heartbeat screamed, every breath burned. They were falling back, but he was their shield. He was the last line between death and survival.
The Boy from Schroon Lake
Charles N. DeGlopper grew up in upstate New York, a small town where hard work was the currency of life. Raised in the church, his faith was quiet but strong. Those early lessons—the weight of responsibility, the call to serve something greater—planted deep roots.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) was no empty phrase to Charles. It was his code.
He enlisted in the Army, not for glory, but from a sense of duty, of purpose. The war was a distant thunder until it wasn’t. Then, he was there—caught in the relentless nightmare of World War II.
The Battle That Defined Him
June 9, 1944. France. The breakout from Normandy was underway after D-Day. The 82nd Airborne Division was pushing inland. DeGlopper was with Company C, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Their mission: cross the Miosson River, secure the far bank, and block the German counterattack. It was brutal from the start. Enemy fire pinned them down. Men fell in the mud, the river cold and unforgiving.
When the call came to retreat, chaos tore through the ranks. Men were scattered, disoriented, vulnerable.
That’s when DeGlopper made his move.
He stayed behind.
With a loaded rifle and precious few rounds left, he lay flat in the open field. Every shot was deliberate, every bullet a warning flare to the advancing enemy. His small frame became a one-man barricade. The Germans focused on him, trying to silence that bullet-spewing menace.
He bought time.
His unit withdrew under cover of his fire. Many lives were saved because one man held his ground.
Then the bullets found him. Wounded twice, he kept firing until his last breath.
He died in no-man’s land, a fallen guardian for his brothers in arms.
Medal of Honor: Worthy of the Nation’s Highest Honor
On December 19, 1944, the Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to Charles N. DeGlopper.
The citation spelled it out with brutal honesty:
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Although ordered to withdraw, Private First Class DeGlopper voluntarily remained behind to cover the withdrawal of his comrades. Alone, he fired his weapon and threw grenades, disrupting enemy forces and enabling his unit to escape to safety.”
His commander said, “His action embodied the spirit and valor of the airborne soldier.”^(1)
His sacrifice was not mere heroism but a testament to the brotherhood forged in fire.
The Eternal Flame of Sacrifice
Charles DeGlopper is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, far from his New York home. His story is etched into the annals of the 82nd Airborne Division and American military history.
Every veteran who knows his name understands what it means to give everything—time, blood, life—for the man on your left and right.
Sacrifice does not end with the battlefield. It speaks to continuity, legacy, and the cost of freedom.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15)
We remember Charles DeGlopper because his death was precious. Because he stood, alone and unyielding, so others could live. Because he showed us that courage is a choice made clear in the crucible of war—and faith sustains that choice.
To live is to fight. To fight is to leave a legacy engraved not in stone, but in the hearts of those who follow.
Charles DeGlopper's rifle still echoes on those blood-soaked fields. His name is a whisper and a roar—an enduring call to hold fast, to stand firm, and to never leave a man behind.
Sources
1. Department of Defense, Medal of Honor Citation for Charles N. DeGlopper 2. Clay Blair, Jumping into Hell: The Combat Diary of Ed Shames of Easy Company (context on 82nd Airborne operations) 3. American Battle Monuments Commission, Netherlands American Cemetery Records
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