Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Stand at Graignes, Normandy

Dec 02 , 2025

Charles DeGlopper's Medal of Honor Stand at Graignes, Normandy

Bullets tore the air like angry wasps. The shriek of shells echoed off the tangled hedgerows of Normandy. Somewhere behind, men scrambled—frightened. Their backs exposed. Their lives hanging by a thread only a few soldiers dared to grasp.

Corporal Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone.

A Farmer’s Son Called to War

Born in Malta, New York, Charles was the son of humble beginnings—raised on country soil where hard work met early mornings. A quiet faith anchored him. Not the loud kind proclaiming glory, but the steady, unseen kind tested in the grinding friction of life.

His devotion to duty wasn’t a matter of words but action.

He enlisted in 1942, joining the 82nd Airborne Division, a unit forged for fierce combat. There, amidst brothers-in-arms, he found a higher calling, a quiet code to never leave a man behind.

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

Just days after D-Day, Charles and his unit bore the brunt of the German counteroffensive near the village of Graignes. The Allies fought fiercely to hold positions vital for the success of the entire invasion.

As his squad’s retreat became inevitable, the enemy closed in with a deadly hail of machine gun fire. The hedgerows—a maze of death—allowed little cover, but desperate resistance was necessary.

Without orders, DeGlopper grabbed his M1 rifle, dashed into open ground, and charged a heavily fortified machine gun nest.

Why? To buy time. Time for his fellow soldiers to slip away from certain slaughter.

He fired relentlessly, pumping bullets into the enemy’s fortified position. His stand was brutal and brief. Wounded and weakened, he fell—his last act one of raw, unyielding courage.

“His gallantry, intrepidity, and tenacity maintained the integrity of the defense and served as an inspiration to all who witnessed it.” — Medal of Honor citation

Medal of Honor: The Highest Tribute Paid in Blood

Posthumously awarded, Charles DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor citation tells a story carved in fire and grit:

Corporal DeGlopper “deliberately covered his squad’s withdrawal through fire and intense enemy opposition… He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.”

His name joined an eternal roll of sacrifice. Generations would learn about the man who stood alone so others could live.

Colonel Matthew Ridgway, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne, lauded DeGlopper’s actions as “the purest expression of selfless sacrifice a soldier can make.”

Legacy Etched in Sacrifice

Charles DeGlopper’s story is a brutal reminder: heroism isn’t found in victory alone—it’s unearthed in the relentless refusal to abandon your brothers.

His stand at Graignes is studied in military history, but more importantly, it challenges every man and woman who carries a uniform today. The battlefield is merciless. Courage isn’t a shield—it’s the bloodied sword wielded in defiance of fear.

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

An Enduring Flame

Every battlefield scar tells a story of faith tested and forged into resolve.

Charles N. DeGlopper died that June day not for fame, medals, or glory—but because in that final, hellish moment, he chose to be the shield.

The world remembers. The living bear the torch.

Redemption in combat is not the avoidance of death but the willingness to brave it.

His sacrifice whispers still to all warriors: stand firm. Protect your own. Leave no man behind.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II — Charles N. DeGlopper 2. Ambrose, Stephen E., Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany, June 7, 1944 – May 7, 1945 3. Ridgway, Matthew B., Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway