Nov 14 , 2025
Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Sacrifice on Hill 192
Charles DeGlopper stood alone on a blood-soaked ridge near Normandy, his rifle firing into the storm. The enemy closed in like a tidal wave—and still, he held that line. His voice didn’t break. His will didn’t bend. Men were falling back, wounded and raw with fear, but DeGlopper’s figure was a grim beacon of defiance—fighting, buying seconds—knowing those seconds meant life for his brothers.
He died fighting. Not out of glory, but out of love for those beside him.
Roots Forged in Honor
Born in Bronx, New York, on February 27, 1921, Charles N. DeGlopper grew up in a working-class family shaped by grit and faith. A son of blue collars and church pews, his life was marked by an unyielding sense of duty.
I’ve seen the old world in the stories my pa told. Tough times made men of us.
DeGlopper carried a simple, quiet faith into battle, a compass that never wavered—an implicit trust that his sacrifice mattered in a larger story.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
The Ridge on Hill 192
August 9, 1944. France—Operation Cobra raged in the blistering heat of summer’s close.
Sergeant DeGlopper was part of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division—jumping behind enemy lines during the Normandy breakout. Casualties had piled high, the enemy was squeezing the American line tight near Hill 192, a key vantage point. Retreat meant certain slaughter for the pinned down platoon.
DeGlopper’s voice cut through shouts—the signal to cover the retreat. Alone, he stood exposed in a shallow depression, rifle blazing, drawing enemy fire like a magnet to hold that enemy assault. Rifle recoil bit into his shoulder. Bullets kicked up dirt. Yet, he fired relentlessly.
He bought time with every breath—every shot a prayer, every heartbeat a promise to those falling back.
Despite wounds and facing machine gun fire, he stubbornly clung to that position. When his ammunition failed, he seized an enemy rifle and pressed on.
The last anyone saw of DeGlopper, he was still fighting—still buying the lives of his comrades with his own.
Honor From the Battlefield
Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945, DeGlopper’s citation recounts a soldier “who single-handedly held a world of enemies at bay.” His selfless stand was pivotal in enabling the platoon’s survival and success in the operation.
Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, remarked:
“DeGlopper’s extraordinary heroism remains a hallmark of airborne valor. He exemplifies the warrior’s highest calling.”
His grave at the Brittany American Cemetery stands silent—his story etched among thousands who bled for liberation.
The Silent Lesson of Sacrifice
Charles DeGlopper’s fight is not a tale of reckless bravado but sober sacrifice. War scars the soul—not every hero survives. He understood that courage means standing in the gap when no one else can.
In that crucible, DeGlopper’s faith and character forged a legacy.
His sacrifice challenges us—both veterans and civilians—to reckon with the cost of freedom. To remember that real courage is quiet, costly, and often anonymous.
“He who loses his life for my sake will find it.” — Matthew 10:39
When the guns fall silent and the dust settles, it’s not medals or monuments that endure. It’s the living memory of souls who carried the burden of liberty on their shoulders.
Charles DeGlopper’s stand on Hill 192 is a blood-red reminder: freedom demands sacrifice, and some pay the ultimate price so others may live to tell the story.
To honor him is to live with the same fierce commitment—to faith, to brothers-in-arms, and to the enduring fight for redemption.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor citations, Charles N. DeGlopper 2. Harper, John. The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II, Zenith Press, 2000 3. Ambrose, Stephen E. Citizen Soldiers, Simon & Schuster, 1997 4. American Battle Monuments Commission, Brittany American Cemetery records
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