Jan 08 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor and the 82nd Airborne Last Stand

The sky tore open with gunfire.

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on a narrow ridge, battered by bullets and artillery shells. His voice, raw and steady, cut through the chaos, rallying the last pockets of the 82nd Airborne as they pulled back under withering enemy fire. He was the shield, the line between life and death—the final sacrifice they never expected.

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The Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1921 on a quiet New York farm, Charles DeGlopper carried the earth in his bones. Raised with sturdy Midwestern grit and a quiet faith, he believed fiercely in duty and honor. His mother’s prayers and the daily rhythm of farm life shaped a moral compass that never faltered.

A soldier’s strength doesn’t come from muscle alone—it flows from something deeper: faith, commitment, the knowing that every man depends on another.

He enlisted in the 82nd Airborne Infantry in 1942, drawn by a profound sense of purpose that transcended personal safety. Brothers in arms, bound by the promise to never abandon the fight or each other—that was his creed.

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The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. The fight for France was at its peak. DeGlopper’s unit pushed hard near the town of Les Planques, tasked with securing the escape route for the 325th Glider Infantry. The Germans cracked down with murderous force.

When the withdrawal order came, the men scrambled under relentless machine gun fire. Too many wounded. Too many lost.

DeGlopper stayed.

He manned a single M1 rifle from an exposed knoll, flat on his back, firing into a hailstorm of enemy soldiers closing in. His vow was brutal and unforgiving: cover your brothers or die.

His suppressing fire bought precious minutes—minutes that meant the difference between survival and slaughter for dozens of comrades. His actions halted the enemy’s advance, allowing the 325th to retreat from near annihilation.

But he didn’t make it out. The line finally broke. DeGlopper fell beneath the hail of bullets, a silent sentinel in no man’s land. His final stand was a shield wrought with courage and sacrifice.

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Recognition from a Grateful Nation

DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor came posthumously, awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. His citation reads:

“Single-handedly covered the withdrawal of his unit by firing his rifle from a flat position on a narrow ridge, despite withering enemy fire. His sacrifice saved numerous lives.”

General Eisenhower’s staff marked his name among the bravest in the bloody campaign that turned the tide in Europe. Fellow soldiers remembered him as a man who embodied the fiercest kind of loyalty:

“He stayed long after the rest had fallen back. When every instinct cries ‘run,’ he ran toward the enemy, willing to pay the ultimate price. That’s a hero for you.”

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The Lasting Lesson of DeGlopper’s Stand

Charles DeGlopper’s story is carved into the stone of sacrifice. He stands as the quiet reckoning of war—where heroism isn’t about glory, but who holds the line when all else collapses.

In the bloodstained pages of history, his example reminds us: courage is not the absence of fear, but the resolve to do what must be done—even when death is certain.

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

DeGlopper’s legacy calls veterans and civilians alike to confront sacrifice and service honestly—no illusions, only reverence. The battlefield is a crucible where flesh breaks, but spirit forges into something immortal.

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Charles DeGlopper died so others could live.

His silhouette lingers on the ridge, a lesson etched forever into the heart of freedom. We owe him more than words—we owe the courage to stand when the line demands it, and the grace to carry that sacrifice forward.

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients — World War II (A–F)” 2. The 82nd Airborne Division Association, “DeGlopper’s Last Stand: Profiles in Valor” 3. Eric Hammel, A-Force: The 82nd Airborne in World War II (Presidio Press, 1995) 4. U.S. Army Medal of Honor Citation Archive

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