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

Feb 15 , 2026

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

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone in a hailstorm of bullets, the Rhine’s bitter wind cutting through the mud-soaked air of Normandy. Behind him, his squad—their backs to death—retreated across open ground. The enemy pressed like a relentless tide. Without hesitation, DeGlopper turned into the storm. He became the single shield between life and annihilation.

From Upstate Roots to War’s Crucible

Born in 1921, Charles DeGlopper grew up in Malone, New York—a quiet town etched with the rugged resolve of farmers and tradesmen. Raised with a sturdy faith and firm principles, his mother’s Bible verses echoed long past breakfast tables and church pews. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) That scripture was no distant echo for DeGlopper. It was a living charge.

When the war came, he answered with the quiet steel of a man who knew honor was not handed, but forged in fire. Drafted into the storied 82nd Airborne Division, he earned his place as a rifleman in Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment. Survival—no, victory—hinged on grit and faith. He carried both like armor.

The Battle That Defined Him

It was June 9, 1944—three days after D-Day. The Americans fought to break out from the Normandy beaches and press deeper into Nazi-held France. DeGlopper’s unit found itself pinned in a deadly bottleneck near the town of La Fière.

Enemy machine guns and mortars rained down with merciless accuracy, slicing men down like wheat. The 82nd’s lines started to buckle. Withdrawal was ordered. Retreat meant death in the open, exposed to withering fire.

Then DeGlopper did something almost impossible.

As his platoon peeled back, he turned. Alone. He charged the machine gun nests, firing until his rifle cracked and he ran out of ammo. His sacrifice bought seconds—precious seconds—for his comrades to slip away. His body was riddled with bullets when they found him, curled in the mud.

His was a last stand soaked in resolve. He refused to be just another lost soldier. He became a shield for his brothers in arms.

Recognition Carved in Valor

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest recognition of battlefield gallantry—DeGlopper's citation reads with unflinching honesty:

“He stood facing the enemy alone, delivering heavy and accurate fire at short range, halting the hostile attack, enabling the withdrawal of the remainder of his platoon.” [1]

General Matthew Ridgway, who later commanded the 82nd, called such selflessness the “epitome of combat courage.” Fellow soldiers remembered his quiet smile, the steady calm under fire. A man who gave his life without question.

An Enduring Legacy of Sacrifice and Hope

Charles DeGlopper’s story is carved into the granite of sacrifice. It is both brutal and beautiful—a reminder that war demands the highest price, and that price is paid by those who stand between chaos and life. His Medal of Honor is not just a medal; it is a call to remember the faces behind the statistics.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) DeGlopper’s final act was one of peace—the harshest peace fought on bloodied fields.

Today, his name adorns a bridge in Normandy—silent witness to courage. His legacy is a compass for veterans, a solemn charge for civilians: Honor the sacrifice, carry the story forward, and never forget the men who bought our tomorrow with their own lives.

In the soil stained red with their blood, we find the roots of redemption—hard-earned, sacred, eternal.

Sources

[1] United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II, Charles N. DeGlopper [2] 82nd Airborne Division archives, The Normandy Campaign [3] Matthew Ridgway, Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway