Charles N. DeGlopper 82nd Airborne Medal of Honor Recipient

Nov 11 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper 82nd Airborne Medal of Honor Recipient

Bullets shredded the trees. The air roared with death, men screamed, then fell silent. Somewhere beyond that hellscape, Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone—facing impossible odds—so his brothers in arms could live.

He was the thin line that held a retreat from becoming a slaughter. His sacrifice turned chaos into a lifeline.

The Boy From Glenville, New York

DeGlopper was born August 27, 1921, in a small town where hard work was non-negotiable. A son of the Hudson Valley’s rugged soil, he grew up with a pull to serve, a faith quietly carried beneath his sleeves.

Faith and duty—two things a soldier clings to when the world breaks apart.

When World War II swallowed young Americans whole, he didn’t hesitate. Drew the number and jumped in, joining Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. A unit forged in grit and the raw blood of airborne warfare.

He carried a simple code: protect the man beside you. Honor above all. No illusions, only the brutal fact: men die. But some die standing so others might live.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. The war had just turned with a massive strike on Normandy’s beaches. But the fight was far from over. The 82nd Airborne pushed deeper, trying to seize critical crossroads near the town of La Fière.

The enemy resistance was ferocious. DeGlopper’s unit locked down the far side of a wheat field, repelling wave after wave of German attacks.

And then it came—the order to withdraw.

The enemy was closing in, their rifles stitching the air with deadly intent. Every step back invited death. But someone had to cover the retreat—someone had to stand in the killing zone.

DeGlopper stepped forward.

Eyewitnesses say he charged alone, wielding a Browning Automatic Rifle like a devil possessed. Each burst of fire drew enemy focus. His position lit up with machine guns, grenades tore through the air.

He took dozens of bullets but never faltered. The sacrifice bought precious minutes. His squad slipped away under lethal fire.

He fell—alone, behind enemy lines. But his final stand saved lives.

Recognition of Valor

For this act of unmistakable bravery, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation described actions “above and beyond the call of duty.” He covered a crucial withdrawal under relentless fire despite heavy casualties.

Supreme Command singled him out as a model of soldierly courage. His colonel wrote that DeGlopper’s “selfless heroism…prevented the destruction of several squads.”

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

What His Sacrifice Teaches Us

DeGlopper’s story is carved into the bedrock of what real courage looks like—not glory, not medals, but raw, terrible choice in the face of death.

He reminds us war isn’t sanitized history. It’s blood, it’s fear, it’s the ultimate cost of freedom. His faith, his grit, his brotherhood with fallen comrades—these define redemption in fire.

Every soldier who reads his story hears the call: This far, no further. Somebody’s watching your back—that somebody might pay the ultimate price.

The flame he lit still burns in our ranks. When the world threatens to swallow courage whole, remember Charles N. DeGlopper—the man who held the line.

His legacy answers the relentless question: What are we willing to give so others may live?

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II. 2. Joyce, Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor citation, 1944. 3. Ambrose, Stephen E. Pegasus Bridge, Simon & Schuster, 1985. 4. National WWII Museum, 82nd Airborne Historical Records.