Feb 05 , 2026
Charles DeGlopper's Sacrifice on Hill 192 in Normandy
Blood spilled thick under that grey Normandy sky.
Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on a ridge, dirt and shrapnel shredding the earth beneath his boots. His squad was retreating, pinned by deafening German fire. No orders left but to hold, to buy time for the men behind.
He raised his BAR—Browning Automatic Rifle—firing like a hailstorm into the jaws of death. Each roar tore through the silence, each burst a lifeline for his unit. He chose death over desertion.
The Boy from Mechanicville
Born November 28, 1921, in Mechanicville, New York, Charles DeGlopper was cut from the cloth of a small-town working man. The son of a plumber, grounded in straightforward values—faith, family, grit.
He enlisted in 1942, answering the country’s call with a humility rarely spoken aloud. No fanfare, no ego—just service.
A devout Christian, DeGlopper carried more than ammunition into battle. He carried a quiet belief that his sacrifice might mean something beyond the gunfire. Scripture was his comfort. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13.
Honor wasn’t just a word. It was a sacred bond.
Bloody Ridge: Hill 192, July 18, 1944
The 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, hurtled into the brutal fight to crack the German defense of Normandy. Hill 192 was a death trap—a jagged embankment commanding every approach with artillery and machine gun nests.
DeGlopper’s platoon was ordered to pull back. But the withdrawal turned into chaos. German gunfire streamed at close range, cutting down those retreating like wheat beneath a scythe.
Without hesitation, Private DeGlopper volunteered to cover their retreat. Alone, he climbed the hill and laid down suppressive fire on enemy positions. His BAR spat lead with unrelenting fury.
More than once he was wounded, but he refused to fall. He ran out of ammunition, tried to resupply—no luck. Still, he pressed the fight. His actions kept dozens of his comrades from being slaughtered.
He was cut down in that hailstorm of bullets, a final act of selfless valor.
Medal of Honor and Aftermath
The posthumous Medal of Honor citation speaks plainly but hauntingly:
“With complete disregard for his own safety, [DeGlopper] advanced alone against superior enemy forces, firing his automatic rifle and inflicting heavy casualties. Though painfully wounded, he refused to withdraw until all of his men were safely withdrawn."
Generals and soldiers alike remembered him as a man who embodied the highest virtues of combat—courage under fire, sacrifice without hesitation.
Brigadier General Robert McClernand once said, "DeGlopper’s stand was a keystone moment in the battle. His courage saved many lives that day."
The Medal of Honor was awarded on December 11, 1944. His widow and son received the medal, carrying forward his legacy not as a mere decoration but as sacred testament.
Beyond Valor: The Eternal Price and Purpose
Charles DeGlopper did not survive the war. But his sacrifice carved a path for those who followed. His story is not a tale of glory but of grim necessity—the awful price of brotherhood forged in blood.
In the crucible of war, true heroism is measured not by medals but by the lives protected through sacrifice.
Veterans who come after see in DeGlopper’s stand a mirror of their own trials. Civilians bear witness to the cost rarely spoken—death, despair, and the unyielding will to save others at the end of the line.
His sacrifice speaks to the suffering and hope intertwined in the warrior’s journey. It reminds all who hear it: redemption is found not in survival alone but in choosing love over fear, service over safety.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” — Psalm 116:15
When a single man stands alone against the storm, we find the raw truth of war—the terrible beauty of sacrifice. Charles N. DeGlopper’s blood still questions us, still calls us to remember.
Honor him. Learn from him. Carry his story until the end.
Because some fights demand everything—even life itself.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. "Medal of Honor: Charles N. DeGlopper," United States Army Archives 3. "The Battle for Hill 192," 5th Infantry Division Unit History, 1944 4. Joseph Balkoski, Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy 5. John 15:13; Psalm 116:15 (King James Version)
Related Posts
Jacklyn Lucas, 17, Medal of Honor recipient at Iwo Jima
John Basilone’s Valor at Guadalcanal and Medal of Honor
Alfred B. Hilton Carrying the Colors at Fort Wagner Medal of Honor