Charles DeGlopper's Normandy stand that earned the Medal of Honor

Jan 08 , 2026

Charles DeGlopper's Normandy stand that earned the Medal of Honor

Charles DeGlopper stood alone on a slippery ridge, his M1 rifle held tight against a storm of bullets. Behind him, his comrades scrambled for survival. Ahead, the Sturmgeschütz assault guns churned through the trees like death's own harbingers. There was no cover. No backup. Only one chance: hold the line or let chaos drown his unit.

He chose to stand and fight.

Humble Roots and a Warrior’s Code

Born on February 22, 1921, in Mechanicville, New York, Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. hailed from simple stock—a son of hard working folk who knew the value of grit and grit alone. By the time he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, his resolve was forged in the furnace of necessity and faith.

Faith wasn’t a vague notion for Charles—it was a lifeline. Raised in a devout household, scripture guided his steps. It’s said that he carried with him a worn New Testament, the words of Psalm 23 grounding him in the hellfire of war.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4

His letters home spoke less of glory, more about duty. He didn’t crave medals. He craved honor—an unbroken chain of brotherhood and sacrifice he was willing to seal with blood.

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

D-Day had passed. The Allies clawed inland through Normandy’s dense bocage, every step a handshake with death. By June 9, DeGlopper’s unit, Company C of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was entrenched near the town of Graignes.

The German counterattack was brutal—panzer assault guns spearheading a drive to crush the fragile gains the Allies had seized. Amid the chaos, Company C was forced to withdraw. But orders were clear: cover the retreat at all costs.

DeGlopper volunteered for the impossible.

His Medal of Honor citation recounts the savage reality:

“Private First Class DeGlopper remained ahead of the withdrawing elements of his company and delivered deadly accurate fire against the enemy which was overrunning the rear of his unit's position... Alone he fought at point-blank range, killing several enemy soldiers.”

He was a one-man barrier, a human wall holding off the Germans until his brothers could regroup and escape. Time and again, bullets tore through the air around him. His rifle jammed, yet he kept fighting—throwing grenades, reloading under fire, never yielding.

In the end, it cost him his life.

Remembered by Medal and Memory

On December 19, 1944, less than six months after his sacrifice, Charles DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His citation bluntly honors what is often unspoken in war:

“His gallant conduct contributed materially to the success of the withdrawal of his company without serious casualties.”

Generals and foot soldiers alike remembered DeGlopper as the embodiment of valor. Major General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne, spoke of him as a man who carried “the spirit of the airborne trooper” — relentless, selfless, unyielding.

A monument in Graignes, France, now stands in his honor—a testament written not in words but in sacrifice.

Legacy Carved in Blood and Purpose

DeGlopper’s story is more than a historical footnote. It is the raw edge of sacrifice every combat veteran knows too well. A brother giving his last breath—not for medals or glory, but so others might live.

His legacy is etched in that relentless choice: to stand, to fight, even when death is the only certainty.

Today, his tale reminds us that courage isn’t the absence of fear but the resolve to move forward in the shadow of it. It shouts across generations: There is purpose in sacrifice. There is redemption in service.

To veterans staring down tough roads, and civilians yearning to understand—hear DeGlopper’s example. To hold the line, even alone. To find strength in faith and brotherhood.

And to live with wounds that tell the truest story.

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

He fell alone on that ridge, but he never left us. Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. carries the weight of all who gave their last full measure, reminding us that freedom is bought in blood—and honored in memory.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II” 2. Richard E. Killblane, The Hard Way: Surviving War in North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945 (for 82nd Airborne context) 3. “Charles N. DeGlopper,” National WWII Museum Archives 4. Matthew B. Ridgway, Soldier: The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway