Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Action in Normandy

Nov 18 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Action in Normandy

He ran headlong into a storm of bullets—alone, standing on a German ridge, a single man holding back the enemy to save his brothers. Each round that hit was a paycheck on the debt he owed his unit. Charles N. DeGlopper died out there on June 9, 1944, soaked in sacrifice, blood, and a cause greater than life itself.

Born of Grit and Grace

Charles was no ordinary soldier. Raised in Mechanicville, New York, he grew up with boots dusty from hard labor and a faith that never cracked under pressure. His mother’s Bible read in the quiet moments shaped a man who understood service was a sacred calling. He carried that weight every day he wore the uniform of the 82nd Airborne Division.

In the letters home, Charles spoke little of glory; more of doing right by his fellow man. His faith wasn't just Sunday talk—it was armor against fear and doubt. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He took those words to heart with every breath.

Holding the Line on D-Day’s Spine

The date: June 9, 1944. The place: the rugged terrain near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy. The mission: a holding action on the flank of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The enemy pressed hard. Retreat loomed—a rout waiting to cripple an entire regiment.

DeGlopper was a rifleman, but that day, he became a shield.

Witnesses say his squad started to pull back under brutal fire. Machine guns spat death. Mortars thundered. Charles stayed. Alone, he stood in the open, firing his BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) so fiercely the Germans fixed their sights on him.

He became a beacon of resistance, buying valuable seconds.

A platoon leader recalled, “He knew the odds. He knew standing there was suicide. But he did it knowing us—his brothers—needed those seconds.” Each burst was desperate courage made manifest.

He was hit multiple times, but rifle in hand, he moved forward in his last moments. His sacrifice blocked the Germans long enough for the main force to regroup and push on.

Medal of Honor: A Brother’s Tribute

Charles DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor citation tells the brutal truth. It’s not flowery prose but raw valor:

"He, by his gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life, afforded the means of escape for elements of his platoon and held a vital position against overwhelming odds."

General Matthew Ridgway—a man forged in combat himself—would later say the action saved the regiment from destruction. A comrade noted, “He gave his life for us. That’s the kind of man Charles was.”

No medal can fully capture such sacrifice. But his name etched in history commands respect—and remembrance.

Lessons Etched in Blood and Honor

DeGlopper’s story speaks beyond Normandy’s hedgerows. It’s a lesson carved into the soul of every warrior: courage is measured not by victories, but by the cost one is willing to pay for others.

War scars depth, but it also defines depth—of character, faith, and brotherhood. Charles modeled redemption wrapped in sacrifice. His stand wasn’t just defense—it was a testament to the greatest commandment: love through action, even unto death.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

In every veteran’s silent march, there’s a DeGlopper—a soul who carried the weight of the world so others could live. His story isn’t buried in history books but etched in every heartbeat that values freedom forged by sacrifice.

Charles N. DeGlopper didn’t just stop bullets that day; he stopped fear. And in doing so, he carved a legacy no enemy could erase.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Ambrose, Stephen E., Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest 3. Official citation, United States War Department, 1944