Charles DeGlopper's Normandy Sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Feb 08 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper's Normandy Sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Bullets tore the earth around him. The enemy pressed forward—unstoppable, relentless. But Charles DeGlopper stood alone in the open field, a one-man wall between the dead and the living. His voice cracked like thunder, rallying his squad’s retreat with a machine gun’s fury until the last brother was clear. And then the silence—because he never made it out.

Blood and Faith Before the Fight

Charles Neal DeGlopper was a kid from Yonkers, New York—blue-collar blood, grit in his jaw, and a faith in God that never wavered even under fire. Raised in a close-knit family, his youth was shaped by hard work and a quiet sense of duty. A good man knows when to stand and when to fall, he’d say, echoing lessons of biblical courage.

He joined the 82nd Airborne Division, jump boots tight, carrying more than just a rifle— carrying a code. Honor. Sacrifice. Protect the man next to you at all costs. His comrades knew him as steady, humble, quietly resolute. Not seeking glory, only survival for the team.

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

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

The morning after D-Day was chaos carved into cold, wet fields near Grandcamp-les-Bains, France. The 508th Parachute Infantry jumped into hell, scattered by wind and bullets. DeGlopper linked up with his squad but found them pinned down under vicious German fire. They needed to pull back to reorganize, but the enemy was closing in fast.

DeGlopper volunteered to cover the retreat.

Out in the open, under brutal machine-gun fire, he moved like an avenging angel. His M1919 Browning roared, cutting down lines of Nazis advancing across the fields. Twice wounded, ignoring the pain, he refused to break position. Every burst from his gun was a beat holding back death.

His action wasn’t just bravery—it was a shield for his brothers in arms. Each second he bought was a second their survival hinged on. As he exhausted his ammo, his body finally gave way. His sacrifice allowed his squad to reach safety, but he paid the ultimate price.

The Medal of Honor and Words that Outlive Death

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 4, 1945, DeGlopper’s citation captures the brutal valor that defined his last moments:

“By his gallant and selfless action, Sgt. DeGlopper enabled his comrades to withdraw safely from a dangerous position, at the cost of his own life... His extraordinary heroism reflects the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.”

Brigadier General Maxwell Taylor, commander of the 82nd Airborne at the time, called him “the epitome of the soldier’s soldier.” Fellow paratroopers remember him not as a hero dramatized in stories but as a brother who lived and died in the rawest combat truth.

Legacy Written in Blood and Spirit

Charles DeGlopper’s story is not just about a moment—it’s about what every veteran knows: sacrifice is a language all brothers in arms speak. It’s unfiltered, ugly, sacred.

His grave lies in Normandy American Cemetery, a quiet testament among thousands. But his legacy marches beyond stone markers and medals. It’s in the worn boots of every paratrooper who steps off a plane into uncertainty. It’s a lesson that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s acting despite it.

He teaches us that the greatest victories are often invisible, won by the man who covers the retreat, who gives everything for the lives of those he loves.

We carry their stories forward. We owe them that much.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

Charles Neal DeGlopper did not live for medals or praise. He lived—and died—with purpose. His sacrifice demands remembrance, not just as history, but as a call to honor those who stand in harm’s way every day between war and peace.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (G-L)" 2. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, American Battle Monuments Commission 3. Brigadier General Maxwell Taylor, remarks on 82nd Airborne Division official history 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Citation for Charles N. DeGlopper