Charles DeGlopper's Normandy stand earned the Medal of Honor

Jan 09 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper's Normandy stand earned the Medal of Honor

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on a ridge where death waited like a silent specter. Machine guns spat fire, mortars shook the earth, and men screamed for cover. Yet he moved forward—his rifle blazing, his voice carrying orders and hope. His final stand was not about glory; it was about buying time. He was the last barrier between his unit and annihilation. The cost was life itself.

Background & Faith

Born in Mechanicville, New York, 1921, Charles DeGlopper grew up toughened by rural grit and the hard discipline his family instilled. The DeGloppers were not strangers to sacrifice. Charles absorbed a soldier’s code from early: loyalty, courage, and faith.

Faith was his armor. Though young, he carried a quiet assurance that no battle was fought alone. His letters home often referenced Psalm 23, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This was the creed he backed with every heartbeat.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Normandy. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne was pinned down near the town of La Fière. The Germans had dug in hard, and American forces were caught in an unforgiving crossfire.

As the enemy advanced with overwhelming force, the order came: retreat.

But a battalion’s withdrawal meant carnage if the enemy pressed the attack too quickly.

DeGlopper volunteered. Alone, he would hold the high ground and cover his comrades’ bitter retreat.

He grabbed an M1 rifle and an M1 carbine. With no squad, no backup, he charged forward into a storm of bullets and grenades.

“We were pulling back in panic,” recalled Joseph Curro, a fellow soldier. “Chuck stayed and kept shooting – just kept firing… he saved our lives.”¹

Explosions tore the air. Shrapnel tore flesh and metal alike. DeGlopper stood firm, fired from the hip, and refused to yield an inch.

Every second he lived bought a dozen brothers the chance to live and fight another day.

Eventually, he fell—wounded and surrounded. The Germans found him dead, his rifle empty but hands steady. He died a hero’s death, not for himself, but for the men behind him.

Recognition

For his valor, DeGlopper posthumously received the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration.

The citation spells it clear:

“Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... He single-handedly delayed an enemy attack by firing upon enemy forces, allowing his comrades to disengage and withdraw.”²

General James M. Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne, called it “the bravest act I ever saw.”³ No truer words exist.

Legacy & Lessons

Charles DeGlopper’s story echoes beyond the bloody fields of Normandy. He embodies the stubborn refusal to give up, the quiet duty that often goes unnoticed but saves lives.

His sacrifice reminds us: courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery over it.

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

His name lives in streets, schools, and remembrance ceremonies—not for medals, but for the heart of the warrior who stood, alone, against the darkness.

His final stand whispers a brutal truth—brotherhood is forged in fire and blood. Valor, faith, and sacrifice are not relics; they are the foundation of every life touched by war.

We owe more than memory. We owe ourselves the courage to carry forward their legacy.

Sources

1. Stephen Ambrose, Citizen Soldier 2. U.S. Army, Medal of Honor Citation, Charles N. DeGlopper 3. James M. Gavin, Airborne Warfare: Reflections of a Paratrooper