Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Sacrifice on Normandy Ridge

Jan 06 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Sacrifice on Normandy Ridge

Charles DeGlopper stood alone on a ridge, bullets ripping the trees around him. His squad was in full retreat, broken and beaten, but he refused to fall back. Every round he fired bought seconds. Seconds enough for his brothers to live. The sky cracked with artillery. His hands bled cold from gripping a BAR. And still, he held the line.

The Soldier and the Man

Born in 1921, Charles N. DeGlopper came from a small town in New York. Raised on hard work and quiet dignity, his faith was a cornerstone—not flashy, but unshakable. Church pews and Sunday mornings taught him something bigger than the war: a code of honor, service, and sacrifice. “Greater love hath no man than this…” had become his silent prayer before every patrol.

He joined the 82nd Airborne Division not looking for glory, but to stand for something greater than himself. A simple man with an iron will, DeGlopper carried the faith of a believer and the resolve of a warrior. He wasn’t just fighting the enemy; he was fighting for the men beside him.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9th, 1944. France was awash with the blood of freedom, barely days after D-Day. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment pushed forward near La Fière, trying to secure a crucial bridge under a relentless German counterattack.

The regiment was hard pressed. Soldiers began pulling back. Enemy machine guns stuffed the woods with death. DeGlopper, a Private First Class then, saw the line crumble. Retreat meant slaughter. He chose otherwise.

Alone, he stepped into the shattered clearing under withering fire. He raised his Browning Automatic Rifle and unleashed a torrent of bullets into the enemy lines. His furious defense pinned down the Germans long enough for his comrades to escape the trap.

His BAR barked like thunder: Brrrrrat! Brrrrrat!

Seconds stretched to minutes, bullets pierced flesh, and the clearing turned crimson. DeGlopper was hit multiple times but kept firing, fixing the enemy’s attention on himself.

Witnesses later said his courage was beyond ordinary. He covered that retreat with a savage grace, refusing to quit, until he finally fell, struck down by a machine gun burst. His life was the gap that saved dozens.

Recognition in Blood

For his unparalleled bravery, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation described him as "completely disregarding his personal safety," covering the withdrawal despite being wounded.

Brigadier General James M. Gavin, leader of the 82nd Airborne, called his actions “the kind of bravery that saved the regiment.” Men who served with him remembered a quiet hero, a man who acted not out of desire for medals but out of duty.

“He chose to stand when running was safer. He gave the last full measure. His sacrifice was the shield that allowed us to fight another day.”

DeGlopper’s baring the line wasn’t just a firefight. It was a testament carved in flesh and faith, a mirror to the highest ideals of soldiering.

Legacy Written in Blood and Spirit

Charles DeGlopper’s story is the blueprint of sacrifice etched into the soul of every combat veteran who’s ever faced fire and fear. His name is honored on the Tablets of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery. But his true monument is in the lives he saved that day—men who carried his memory forward through every battle, every homecoming.

His sacrifice is a glaring reminder: True courage demands a price. It asks us to stand when the easy way is to run. It is not about glory but about something deeper — someone else’s life.

His actions echo Psalm 91:4 — “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge.” DeGlopper found refuge in his faith and gave refuge to his brothers in arms.

To honor Charles N. DeGlopper is to acknowledge the raw cost of freedom. To remember that behind every medal is a grave, behind every story a soul. His sacrifice calls us to reckon with the debts paid by those who took the fight into hell.

And in that reckoning, we find redemption—not just in victory, but in the willingness to lay down everything for others.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (G-L)" 2. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial Archives, “Charles N. DeGlopper” 3. James M. Gavin, Airborne Warfare: A Soldier’s Memoir of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (1984)