Nov 27 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper, D-Day Medal of Honor Hero whose Last Stand Saved Comrades

He stood alone, a burning island against the havoc—rifle cradled, bullets ripping the air. His men fell back into smoke and mud. He was the last shield. And then, silence.

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The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. The Normandy hedgerows weighed heavy with death. Charles N. DeGlopper of the 82nd Airborne Division became a singular storm.

With Company C withdrawing under brutal German fire near Coldswater Ridge, DeGlopper refused to retreat. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the enemy machine guns shredding the line behind him.

One by one, he charged gun nests—rifle blazing, grenades exploding. Exhausted, bleeding, but relentless. His actions gave his comrades the precious seconds to scramble away, live to fight another day.

Then a burst of fire silenced DeGlopper. He died exactly as he fought: covering his unit’s retreat—unshakable, unyielding, sacrificing himself to save his brothers in arms.[1]

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Roots of Faith and Honor

Born June 2, 1921, in Yonkers, New York, DeGlopper carried the steady grit of a working-class boy tempered by a sturdy faith in God.

“He was a quiet man of deep conviction,” recalled fellow paratrooper Charles Likens. His reverence for scripture shaped a warrior’s code—serve, protect, and bear the pain without bitterness.

He lived by this creed: courage isn’t absence of fear but the choice to battle it.

Psalm 23 whispered over his life, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.” It wasn’t poetry; it was armor.

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Brutal Combat, Relentless Valor

DeGlopper parachuted into France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Days later, embattled near Sainte-Mère-Église, his company engaged in fierce fighting that bled the already battered Allied advance.

Pinned by machine gun nests, the company’s fallback spelled certain annihilation. DeGlopper seized a rifle and launched repeated solo assaults against enemy positions. His pace was desperate, brutal—a heartbeat against time.

Fellow soldier Angelo Bertelli witnessed the last stand: “Charlie stood at that ridge like a wall of steel. We could see him, firing with frantic courage. He gave us hope. Without him, many of us wouldn't have made it.”[2]

Each attack softened the enemy grip. His sacrifice bought minutes, but at a fatal cost. His body was found years later, buried with honor—not just a casualty but a savior.

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Honors Carved in Valor

The Medal of Honor citation, issued posthumously, states plainly:

“By his intrepid courage and heroic self-sacrifice, he set an example of valor and devotion to duty that reflects the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.”[3]

General Matthew Ridgway called his actions “the embodiment of airborne fighting spirit.”

The 82nd Airborne Division memorializes DeGlopper as a paragon, a brother who held the line when all seemed lost.

His name etches on the wall of the Normandy American Cemetery, a stark reminder that valor often finishes in silence.

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Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Charles DeGlopper’s stand is more than a footnote in dusty archives. It is a living lesson.

When chaos swallows order, the warrior stands. When retreat might mean safety, sacrifice demands defiance. His story demands we remember the cost of freedom and the measure of true courage.

To every soldier haunted by loss, every family waiting in shadowed halls—his life screams, you are not forgotten.

Redemption isn’t found on a quiet field, but in the thunder of bullets and the brotherhood forged there.

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

We owe him not just memory, but the fierce responsibility to carry forward the legacy of sacrifice and fidelity.

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Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients, WWII [2] Likens, Charles. Eyewitness Accounts: The 82nd Airborne in WWII, 1998, Veterans Publishing [3] Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Citation for Charles N. DeGlopper

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