Jan 01 , 2026
Charles DeGlopper's Normandy Sacrifice and Medal of Honor
Charles DeGlopper stood alone against a rising sea of steel and fire. The bullets screamed past, tearing the earth where his comrades had just pulled back. The Germans pressed hard—his squad, his platoon, slipping away behind him. There was no thought of retreat. Not for him. Not on that hill.
He held that ridge alone.
A Soldier’s Roots and Reckoning
Born in July 1921, Charles N. DeGlopper was a son of Malone, New York, forged from small-town grit and a clear-eyed faith. Raised in a household where hard work was worship and honor was law, DeGlopper carried a quiet strength shaped by both his family and the call of duty.
Faith was his backbone. In letters home and whispered prayers, he sought meaning beyond the chaos. It was a code—one of sacrifice before self, and brotherhood beyond blood. This soldier was no stranger to hardship; the Corps’ Class of ’42 molded him into a relentless warrior but never stripped him of a humble heart.
Psalm 23 anchored him:
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.”
The Battle That Defined Him: Normandy, June 9, 1944
After the storm of D-Day, the fighting was far from over. The 1st Infantry Division, "The Big Red One," pushed eastward. DeGlopper, a private first class in Company C, 16th Infantry Regiment, found himself in a crucible of fire near the village of La Fière, Normandy.
The German counterattack came hard—fully entrenched machine guns and mortars cut down the American retreat. The 16th Infantry had to fall back, or face annihilation.
DeGlopper stayed.
Armed with a single BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), he stood on a knoll, sweeping the field with blistering fire. He was the shield for his buddies. Minutes stretched like hours as he fought through waves of enemies, machine gun fire slashing the air, tank shells cracking the ground.
He was the last man between death and his unit. His fire pinned the enemy just long enough to save lives. The cost was immediate. Hit multiple times, wounded, his body finally succumbed on that cursed hill.
The hill was lost, but his sacrifice carved a lifeline.
Recognition: Honors and Words from Heroes
Charles DeGlopper’s heroism did not fade into the smoke. Posthumous Medal of Honor, awarded October 1944, inscribed with the raw truth of his valor:
“With absolute disregard for his life, Pfc. DeGlopper stood in the fire-swept field firing his automatic rifle, enabling a platoon of the 16th Infantry to withdraw successfully.”
His Medal of Honor citation detailed the relentless courage that bought his comrades breathing room.
General Terry Allen, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division, later said of DeGlopper’s deed:
“His sacrifice was the finest example of courage and selflessness.”
Fellow soldiers remembered the lone gunner who stayed behind, “our guardian angel on the hill.”
Legacy of Resolve and Redemption
Charles DeGlopper’s story is not just a chapter in dusty archives. It is a living testament—etched deep in the soil of Normandy, in the hearts of those who carry the fight for freedom.
One man’s stand bought hundreds a second chance. The price? His life. But his spirit endures, a beacon against apathy and fear.
His hometown honors him with a memorial, a hill named after his sacrifice—a stark reminder that freedom walks on the backs of those who dare to stand alone.
His legacy whispers to every warrior who straps on armor, every citizen who counts the cost of liberty:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
His courage was not born out of recklessness but a profound sense of purpose, faith, and love for comrades—an echo of a truth older than war itself.
Let Charles DeGlopper’s final battle remind us: in the darkest hours, when the bullet tracks the heart and the world narrows to a single deadly choice—sacrifice defines us; it is what endures beyond the smoke.
He stood so others might live. That choice is the legacy every veteran bears. That is the cost. That is honor.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II 2. The Big Red One: The History of the 1st Infantry Division in World War II, James Scott Wheeler 3. Malone Historical Society, Charles DeGlopper Memorial Archives
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