Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Action at La Fiere Bridge

Dec 08 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Action at La Fiere Bridge

Legs burning, bullets ripping the air—no cover but a dying breath to stall the enemy. Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone, a lone shield against the storm. The roar of German guns cracked like thunder over the fields of Normandy, June 9, 1944. This was his last stand.

Roots of Resolve

Born in the quiet town of Selden, New York, Charles DeGlopper carried the grit of a long line of working men and farmers. A simple upbringing, grounded in duty and faith, shaped the man who would face hell in Europe. Before the war, he worked the land, learned to stand tall under pressure. His faith was a quiet armor. Soldiers who knew him spoke of a steady presence, a man who believed deeply in something greater than the fight itself.

“I’ve got a job to do,” he reportedly said once, “and I’m going to do it right.” Duty, honor, sacrifice—these were not abstract concepts but the code he lived by.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 6, 1944. D-Day’s chaos swallowed the world. Sergeant DeGlopper’s 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, leapt into a fixed hellscape. Their mission: secure footholds behind enemy lines.

By June 9, his platoon faced brutal German counterattacks near La Fière Bridge, a strategic choke point. German machine guns churned death, cutting down the retreating U.S. troops. The bridge was critical—if lost, entire battalions would be trapped and slaughtered.

DeGlopper’s squad, pinned and bleeding, was ordered to withdraw. But the enemy’s fire pinned them to the dirt.

He chose to stay and fight alone.

Armed with a single M1 rifle and a Browning Automatic Rifle, he charged across the 30-yard bridge under relentless fire. A man marked for death who persisted.

He shouted warnings, fired back at the Germans, drawing their attention while his comrades scrambled to safety. Bullet wounds tore into him as he fired round after round, crawling forward when he couldn’t stand.

Then silence. Charles DeGlopper fell, killed by German fire — but his selfless stand saved many lives that day.

Recognition in Blood

Sergeant DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 24, 1945. His citation reads:

“During the heavy fighting at La Fière Bridge, when the platoon was forced to withdraw and was pinned down by intense fire... Sergeant DeGlopper voluntarily remained in a position of great danger. Displaying conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, he exposed himself... to draw enemy fire.”

Generals and comrades alike called his action nothing short of legendary. Major General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, remarked:

“DeGlopper’s sacrifice was the finest example of selfless courage I have ever seen.”

Such words fall short of capturing the cost—a young man falling so others might live. His medal joined those of the great warriors of the Second World War, stories of steel and sacrifice inked in eternity.

Legacy of a Fallen Shield

Charles DeGlopper does not rest in some forgotten grave. Guardsmen and historians remember him every year at Normandy, his name carved into memorials and hearts alike.

His story reminds us that courage isn’t about glory. It is the quiet choice to stand when everything screams to run. A brother’s keeper. A soldier’s final gift.

His sacrifice echoes the scripture he might have cherished:

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

In every veteran who shoulders pain—seen or unseen—there is a DeGlopper. A flame burned bright, extinguished too soon, but never forgotten.

In war’s brutal calculus, one man’s stand can tip the scales. Charles N. DeGlopper became that stand. Hell's storm came for him, but his courage held like a rock in the flood.

And so we remember—not just the medals or history books—but the price paid in blood, the legacy forged in fire, and the hope that sacrifice still births freedom.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (G-L) 2. 82nd Airborne Division Association, Devil’s Playground: The Story of the 82nd Airborne in WWII 3. Robert F. Skerrett, John F. Kennedy and the 82nd Airborne: The Biographies of Two American Patriots 4. Charles DeGlopper Medal of Honor Citation, Congressional Medal of Honor Society