Charles N. DeGlopper Jr., Medal of Honor Hero at Normandy

Dec 30 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper Jr., Medal of Honor Hero at Normandy

Bullets whistled past him—death riding every lead spit from the German lines. Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. stood, alone in the open field of Normandy, a wall against the storm. His voice cut through the chaos, rallying the survivors. He fired his last rounds to cover their retreat—and never triggered again.

From Small Town Roots to Soldier’s Heart

Born October 27, 1921, in Mechanicville, New York, Charles grew up the son of a railroad worker, hardened in the grit of American steel country. A quiet man, but not without strong conviction. He carried a deep, abiding faith—an inner compass sharpened by scripture.

His dog-eared Bible was a constant companion, a source of strength during nights soaked in fear and cold mud. The words of Isaiah etched into his soul:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles...” (Isaiah 40:31)

Duty and honor were more than words—they were his code. When war called him into the 82nd Airborne Division, he answered without hesitation, trained to leap behind enemy lines, prepared to face hell itself.

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

Two days after D-Day, the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment got trapped near the village of Ste. Mere Eglise. The Germans counterattacked fiercely, forcing an Allied retreat. DeGlopper’s unit faced annihilation.

Amidst machine gun fire and advancing infantry, DeGlopper stood his ground. He grabbed a Browning Automatic Rifle and ran into the open—alone. His mission: cover the withdrawal of his comrades, buy them time to escape.

Facing a hailstorm of bullets, he fired relentlessly. The position he held was pivotal—once lost, total rout would follow. Despite wounds, fatigue, and encircling enemy, he refused to pull back.

It was a death sentence. But he paid it gladly for his brothers in arms. His final act was not surrender but sacrifice—an unyielding bastion of brotherhood and valor.

Medal of Honor: Words to Immortalize Valor

Posthumously awarded on November 1, 1944, DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor citation pulls no punches:

“Private Charles N. DeGlopper... provided with his automatic rifle, a one-man defense, serving as the rearguard against a superior enemy force, and exacted a heavy toll from them.”

His commander called him a “true warrior’s warrior”—the kind who writes victory in blood with quiet heroism. Fellow soldiers remembered the chilling calm he held under fire, a presence that turned chaos to order.

The medal, displayed at the Mechanicville museum, now stands as a symbol of sacrifice—not glory.

More Than Medal: The Enduring Legacy

DeGlopper’s story echoes in the halls of the 82nd Airborne and beyond. Deprived of decades to live, he left a legacy painted in the raw currency of war: sacrifice, faith, and brotherhood that transcends death.

Every veteran knows the price—felled by unseen hands where valor meets fate. Yet his story demands something more. It is a solemn call to remember what real courage looks like: not the lust for glory, but the steady courage of a man who stands alone so others may live.

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

Today’s soldiers still carry the torch he lit—remembering him not as a footnote, but a chapter in the endless saga of sacrifice. Every dawn, the fields of Normandy whisper his name.

Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. did not live to see victory. But in his death, he carved a path so others could walk free. That path bears the scars of war and the light of faith—he knew both well. He stands not just as a man who died, but as a man who gave all—for honor, for country, for love of brother. May we never forget the cost.

Sources

1. United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Stephen Ambrose, D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II (Touchstone, 1994) 3. The Citadel Archives, 82nd Airborne Division History and Personal Accounts 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Citation and Records for Charles N. DeGlopper Jr.