Jan 01 , 2026
Charles N. DeGlopper D-Day Medal of Honor Last Stand
He stood alone, a single figure against a storm of bullets and death, holding hell at bay so his brothers could live. Charles N. DeGlopper was not built from legend or glory. He was forged in the raw, brutal crucible of war—where every heartbeat could be the last. And on that shattered ridge near the Merderet River, his final act burned itself into eternity.
The Boy From Albany, Ready for War
Charles Nelson DeGlopper wasn’t born a hero. He came from Albany, New York—a blue-collar city tough and honest like the young man himself. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, joining the 82nd Airborne Division’s 325th Glider Infantry Regiment. His faith and work ethic anchored him. A quiet man with a fierce sense of duty, grounded in the values of sacrifice and brotherhood that war would test beyond limits.
No tales of recklessness. No bravado. Just a steady resolve shaped by something bigger than himself. That’s what you notice when you read the accounts from his squadmates and officers—their respect for his unwavering loyalty in the worst conditions.
D-Day’s Bloody Price: The Battle That Defined Him
June 9, 1944. Three days after the Normandy landings. The 82nd Airborne was tasked with seizing and holding the Merderet River bridge near La Fière. Darkness worn thin by the enemy’s flares and the continuous rattle of machine-gun fire.
The regiment was exhausted, beaten back, forced into a fighting retreat. That’s when DeGlopper volunteered to cover the pullback—alone. His platoon was cut off and pinned by murderous German fire. Every second was borrowed time.
He charged into the open with his Browning Automatic Rifle blazing. Bullets shredded the air. His comrades scrambled to safety behind the embankment. He didn’t hesitate. DeGlopper held the Germans’ attention long enough to break the encirclement and save dozens from death or capture.
They say he fired until he could fire no more. Wounded but undeterred, he fell—his blood soaking the mud, a last vestige of defiance etched against the dark.
Medal of Honor: The Nation’s Highest Reverence
The Army awarded Charles N. DeGlopper the Medal of Honor posthumously for that selfless act of courage. The citation reads:
"He single-handedly held off a vastly superior enemy force with intense rifle and machine gun fire to protect the withdrawal of his comrades."
Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin called it “the most outstanding act of combat heroism” he had witnessed. His squadmates never forgot the man who stood alone when all else gave way.
His sacrifice echoed through unit histories and battlefield reports, a testament to the cost of holding ground and saving brothers-in-arms under hellfire.
Remembering DeGlopper: Courage Beyond the Horizon
What remains beyond the medals and the stories is the stark truth: sacrifice is real, and it demands everything. DeGlopper’s stand reminds us that heroism often ends in silence but never in futility. It’s not about glory—the battlefield doesn’t owe you that. It’s about protection. Honor. The relentless choice to shield others with your very life.
His faith whispered through those final moments, Psalm 23:4—
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
DeGlopper embraced that promise. His legacy is carved in that shadowed valley, a light for those who follow.
When you speak of Charles N. DeGlopper, you speak of a man who traded the safety of yesterday for the salvation of tomorrow’s brothers. His courage wasn’t born in the absence of fear, but in its blinding presence—and the choice to fight anyway. Today, every veteran who stands watch, wounded or weary, carries a piece of that same fight.
And for those who never faced the gunfire—remember this: some sacrifices etch their cost in silence and blood. DeGlopper’s story commands reverence—not just for the man, but for all who bear the unbearable burden of war.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (Army) 2. Joseph Balkoski, Beyond the Beach: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy 3. Press Release, U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division Historical Accounts 4. Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin, memoir excerpts, Airborne Warfare
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