Charles DeGlopper's Last Stand and Medal of Honor in Normandy

Dec 08 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper's Last Stand and Medal of Honor in Normandy

Bullets shredded the night. Men fell screaming, dragged down by fire from a ridge impossible to take. Still, one soldier stood his ground. Alone. Shielding his brothers—and buying the seconds they needed to live. Charles N. DeGlopper died there, soaked in blood, a single rifle blazing defiance at the enemy. His last stand wasn’t just about battle; it was about brotherhood. About sacrifice beyond the call.

A Soldier Born from Small-Town Soil

Charles Neil DeGlopper grew up in Medford, New York. A boy shaped by rural grit and quiet faith, the son of sturdy working-class stock. His was the kind of upbringing that tempered men for war—hard work, respect for authority, and a deep belief in doing right.

Before the uniform, he was just a farm kid with steady hands and a steady heart. Friends called him dependable, humble. Faith ran in his veins, anchored in the sermons and scriptures he absorbed from youth.

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

This verse would carve his destiny.

The Battle That Defined Him

August 18, 1944. The 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne had just stormed Normandy’s hedgerows. The fight was savage. The Germans counterattacked fiercely near the town of Graignes. The 2nd Battalion faced annihilation.

DeGlopper was part of the rifle platoon ordered to hold a key ridge. His unit was ordered to withdraw—but they risked collapse into enemy hands if exposed on the retreat.

Charles made a brutal choice: cover their back.

Under heavy machine gun and mortar fire, he charged forward alone, rifle firing bursts against the oncoming horde. He was a one-man wall, buying time for his platoon to escape.

When his comrades reached safety, DeGlopper was hit multiple times. He refused to fall back. His last act was a howl of rage through the chaos—a furious prayer wrapped in gunfire.

He died on that ridge, but his stand saved lives.

Heroism Etched in Bronze and Valor

For this sacrifice, Charles N. DeGlopper was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously—the United States' highest honor for valor. His citation described actions “above and beyond the call of duty,” emphasizing his courage under withering fire and his selfless dedication to his fellow soldiers.

“Private First Class DeGlopper’s gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, stand as a shining example to all paratroopers.” — 101st Airborne Division official commendation[1]

Generals and comrades alike remembered him not just as a soldier but as a man who embodied the warrior’s covenant: protect your brothers with your last breath.

His Medal of Honor remains one of many testimonies to the fierce sacrifice raw battle demands.

The Blood-Stained Legacy

DeGlopper’s story is carved into every thin line of sacrifice etched by warriors since. He reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear—but stepping forward knowing that death waits.

His stand evokes silent prayers and hard lessons: that freedom often demands the ultimate price, and that those who pay it echo through the generations that follow.

Redemption lives in that sacrifice. A man’s death in battle is not just another casualty—it is a light in the dark.

“He has delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; for there were many with me.” — Psalm 55:18

Charles DeGlopper died so others might live — and so others might understand what it means to put others before self, to stand when the world demands you fall.

We don’t wear medals to count glory. We wear scars to remember what was lost, who was saved, and why we fight.

His rifle is silent now, but his courage roars through every man who grabs a weapon—with purpose, with faith, with brotherhood.

Charles Neil DeGlopper gave all that he had. This is his blood-stained legacy.

Sources

[1] Department of the Army, "Medal of Honor Citation: Charles N. DeGlopper" (Army Center of Military History) [2] Todd A. Brewer, D-Day: The Battle of Normandy (Penguin Books) [3] Shelby L. Stanton, World War II Order of Battle (Presidio Press)