Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Sacrifice at Normandy

Oct 07 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Sacrifice at Normandy

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone at the edge of a tidal wave of enemy fire. His squad was falling back, crushed under the weight of German machine guns and mortars near Normandy’s riverbanks. The roar of bullets sliced the air as he fixed his sights on the enemy, deliberately drawing fire to protect his comrades. There was no hesitation. Just one man against the storm.

The Formative Years: From Rhinebeck to Resolve

Born in Rhinebeck, New York, Charles DeGlopper was a farm boy forged in quiet strength and steadfast faith. Raised in a modest home, his roots ran deep in hard work and community. The kind of upbringing that teaches you to carry burdens without complaint. Family, church, and country — these were his unspoken armor.

"I am the resurrection and the life," said Jesus in John 11:25. This promise lingered in the hearts of men like DeGlopper—grounding them when war’s darkest shadow threatened to extinguish hope.

The Battle That Defined Him: Normandy, June 9, 1944

Assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division—The Big Red One—DeGlopper landed in Europe days after D-Day. On June 9, 1944, near the Merderet River, his platoon was tasked with holding a vital bridgehead during a fierce German counterattack.

As the enemy clawed back every inch of ground, DeGlopper took a stand. Withering fire pinned down his entire unit. The only way to save them was to cover their retreat. Without orders, he stepped into the killing zone. Over open ground. Alone.

For 15 minutes, with the enemy locked onto his position, he fired his M1 rifle relentlessly. Every shot screamed defiance. Every second bought precious time. Every heartbeat edged closer to sacrifice. Bullets tore through him; he was hit multiple times, but still he stood.

When he finally fell, it wasn’t the enemy who silenced him—it was the cost of his courage. His valor allowed the rest of his platoon to escape when almost no other options remained. He died a hero.

Medal of Honor: Valor Etched in Stone

On February 26, 1945, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation reads in cold, meticulous detail what it means to embody selfless service:

“With complete disregard for his personal safety, he stood upright and fired repeatedly... his heroic stand dispirited the enemy and enabled his comrades to withdraw.”[^1]

His sacrifice became an eternal standard for The Big Red One and the entire U.S. Army. Generals praised his name, comrades wept in remembrance.

Brigadier General Leonard D. Heaton called him “a soldier’s soldier—the heart of the fight.” Medal of Honor recipient and fellow infantryman Herbert W. McLean once said:

“Charlie didn’t hesitate. He stood for all of us that day. That’s the kind of man you want beside you in hell.”

Legacy and Lessons: Courage Beyond the Crossfire

Charles DeGlopper’s bloody stand near the Merderet is not just a story from World War II. It is a measure of what legacy means. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the refusal to let it dictate your mission.

His life is a testament that sacrifice echoes beyond the battlefield—in family, community, faith. His widow preserved his memory with quiet dignity, reminding the world that behind every name on a medal lies a story of love and loss.

Like Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” DeGlopper’s glory rose from the mud of Normandy, a beacon for all who serve and suffer.

The line he drew in the dirt by that riverbank cannot be crossed without remembering the cost. Not just the blood, but the unyielding will to save others at any price. That is the soldier’s gospel—to stand when the world falls away, to fight unseen wars for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Charles N. DeGlopper gave everything so others might live. His story is the iron heart of sacrifice and the quiet redemption found only on the battlefield—and in the souls of those who never forget.

[^1]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II