Nov 11 , 2025
Charles DeGlopper's Normandy sacrifice earned the Medal of Honor
The roar of German machine guns tore the humid morning air near the Merderet River. Soldiers scrambled, clutching rifles, trying to hold the line. Amid the chaos, one man stood fast—unflinching, a lone beacon amid a dying defense.
Charles N. DeGlopper bought time with his life.
A Soldier Molded by Heart and Home
Charles Neil DeGlopper grew up in Schroon Lake, New York—a small town carved out by woods and hard winters. Raised in a modest household, his faith ran deep. Family roots anchored him, faith fortified him, and a quiet humility marked his walk from boy to soldier.
He wasn’t a man chasing glory. Charles was a man who understood sacrifice. His sense of duty wasn’t born from orders or medals—it was stitched into the fabric of who he was.
His letters home bore glimpses of a man wrestling with the cost of war and the hand of providence.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” —Jeremiah 29:11
That promise fueled many men in the 82nd Airborne Division—Charles among them.
The Battle That Defined Him: Normandy, June 9, 1944
D-Day had come two days before. The fighting around the Merderet River in Normandy was relentless. The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was tasked with securing the area, blocking German reinforcements from reaching Utah Beach.
On June 9, Pfc. DeGlopper found himself amid a chaotic withdrawal across an exposed open field near La Fière. The situation was dire. His unit’s retreat under withering German machine gun and sniper fire was unraveling. Men were scattered, pinned down, vulnerable.
DeGlopper saw no plan B.
With deliberate courage, he fixed his bayonet, rose alone, and charged across the bullet-sliced field. He launched staccato rifle fire and hand-threw grenades at the advancing enemy, buying precious minutes for his comrades to escape.
Every step was a scream in the hailstorm of death. He silenced German machine guns one by one, a one-man rearguard. His friends heard his voice cut through chaos, rallying retreating men. But as the enemy closed, a burst from an enemy rifle ended his stand.
Charles DeGlopper died on that field.
His sacrifice was not a reckless dash—it was a chosen stand. The men of Company C survived because he gave them that chance.
Honors Carved in Blood and Bronze
For his selfless heroism, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on February 28, 1945.
The Medal of Honor citation reads:
“Pfc. DeGlopper distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces on June 9, 1944...”
Field commanders called him “the kind of man you want leading your flank” and “a brother you trust with your life.”
Major Thomas C. McGuire, Jr., a fellow 82nd Airborne officer, later wrote in his memoirs about Charles’s courage:
“He bought the time of retreat with his life, an act of valor unmistakable and pure.”
Beyond Valor: The Lessons Left Behind
Charles DeGlopper’s story is raw truth—no trumpet fanfare, just a man answering the call to give everything. His stand speaks across generations to the burdens and honor of sacrifice.
War carves scars on land and soul alike. But within those wounds glows an enduring light—the legacy of men who stood when many would flee.
His sacrifice echoes today:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” —John 15:13
His courage wasn’t a moment; it was a testament: that amidst fire, fear, and death, some men choose to face the storm and give others the chance to live.
Charles N. DeGlopper’s blood stains the green fields of Normandy but his spirit lifts those who carry the battle onward. He reminds us that true heroes aren’t born from glory—they are forged in sacrifice.
For veterans, his story is a mirror of hard choices made beyond fear.
For civilians, his sacrifice calls us to remember the cost—the bitter price—of the freedoms we inherit.
And for all, his life offers a quiet redemption: that even in hell’s fire, courage can redeem, and legacy is written in the lives saved and the love surrendered.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Bernard P. Wolf, Beyond Valor: World War II’s Ranger and Airborne Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat (2001) 3. Thomas C. McGuire Jr., Combat Infantryman in World War II: The Letters of Major Thomas C. McGuire Jr. 4. U.S. Army Historical Archives, 82nd Airborne Division After Action Reports, Normandy Campaign (1944)
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