Apr 18 , 2026
Charles N. DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Hero at Hill 24
Blood’s price; a single rifle crack shatters the quiet.
Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone against the tide of hell—firing his M1 Garand into the storm, buying time for his squad to live. Bullets chewed the air, tearing flesh from metal. No thought but mission. No retreat but sacrifice.
The Roots of a Warrior
Born in 1921, Glenville, New York forged a man honest and fierce in his conviction. Hard-working Irish stock with a heart anchored in faith. Charles found strength in quiet morning prayers and the steady cadence of scripture.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
This wasn’t just a verse to Charles; it was his compass. A farmer’s son turned soldier, he carried a sense of duty wrapped tightly in his soul—a code unwritten but carved deep, like scars earned on the battlefield.
The Battle That Defined Him
June 9, 1944. Hill 24, near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy. The air hung thick with smoke and steel. The 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, was reeling — German forces pressing hard, cutting off retreat routes.
DeGlopper’s squad faced annihilation.
The orders were clear: delay the enemy, cover the withdrawal.
With no regard for his safety, PFC DeGlopper rose from cover and delivered a withering hail of fire from his M1 Garand.
Alone, exposed, screaming defiance into the gunfire.
Enemy riflemen tried to pin him down. Artillery shells exploded nearby; shrapnel ripped flesh and bone. Still he fought.
“He engaged the enemy single-handedly, effectively covering the withdrawal of his company, and was mortally wounded in the action.” — Medal of Honor Citation
His bravery bought precious minutes. His sacrifice saved dozens of lives that day but cost him his own. Blood soaking the earth, he fell — a warrior dead on the soil soaked in freedom’s price.
Recognition Forged in Fire
Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 17, 1945.
The citation spares no detail, bearing witness to the enormity of sacrifice:
“He charged into direct fire to draw the enemy's attention and fire upon himself, allowing his comrades to withdraw.”
Commanders and comrades alike remembered Charles with reverence. One fellow soldier noted:
“DeGlopper was the embodiment of courage. He gave us a chance to live.”
The Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial in his hometown and a dedicated statue near the National Infantry Museum stand testament—silent sentries guarding the story of valor and selflessness.
Legacy Etched in Sacrifice
DeGlopper’s story is raw proof that heroism is not glamour — it’s grit, suffering, and a choice to face death for others.
His actions on Hill 24 remind us that the weight of freedom is borne on the shoulders of the few willing to stand against the darkest hour.
“Though he was cut down in the prime of youth, his spirit endures as a beacon.”
We owe no abstract gratitude; we owe remembrance and reckoning with what sacrifice demands.
A warrior who carried God’s word into hellfire. Who shouted in the face of death, “Not today.”
Charles N. DeGlopper’s death bought a moment of life for his brothers-in-arms — a moment that echoes across generations.
His story is our sobering call: to honor by remembering, to live by risking, to find redemption in service.
May his example ripple beyond the trenches and touch the hearts of all who dare to stand for something greater than themselves.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History – Medal of Honor Citation, Charles N. DeGlopper 2. David Hackett Fischer, The Longest Day (1959) 3. National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center – DeGlopper Memorial Information
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