Charles N. DeGlopper, Medal of Honor hero at Normandy

Feb 06 , 2026

Charles N. DeGlopper, Medal of Honor hero at Normandy

They came at him from every angle. Machine guns rattled like death’s heartbeat. Mortar shells tattooed the earth nearby. And there, in the mud of Normandy’s hedgerows, Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone—an island amid chaos. His voice, hoarse and raw, cut through the storm: a rally, a warning, a final stand.

Roots Forged in Small-Town Soil

Charles Nelson DeGlopper grew up in Yonkers, New York—a working-class kid with a quiet grit that revealed itself early. The son of modest means, he learned the value of hard work, loyalty, and faith beneath the steeple of his local church. “To serve others means to give your all,” his mother reportedly told him. That lesson burned deep.

Before war, he worked as a postal clerk—delivering more than letters, carrying integrity in his every step. When he enlisted in the Army, it wasn’t out of glory but duty. The Bible was his compass. Psalm 23:4 echoed in his mind amid those fields:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

DeGlopper’s character was shaped not by battlefield explosions but by everyday honor. It was this backbone that would steel him in the inferno to come.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Five days after D-Day, the 82nd Airborne Division—his unit—was grappling with crushing German resistance near the small village of La Fière in Normandy. Their job: hold the line, cover the retreat, buy lives with bullets.

The odds? Overwhelming. The mission? Suicide.

DeGlopper was a Private First Class in Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment. As the rest of his men withdrew under a hail of enemy fire, Charles chose to stay. Alone, he mounted a ditch, exposing himself to deadly machine gun nests.

Three times, it’s reported, DeGlopper charged forward, firing his Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). His desperate resistance slowed the German advance enough for his comrades to escape. Every burst of fire was a heartbeat fending off death—not just his own, but theirs.

One witness called his stand “a sacrifice without hesitation, a brother’s shield under bloodied skies.”

Enemy fire finally struck him down. His death was instant but his stand was eternal.

Recognition Carved in Valor

For his actions, Charles N. DeGlopper was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously—an honor reserved for those whose courage redefines sacrifice on the battlefield.

His citation reads, in part:

“While covering the withdrawal of his comrades and exposed to intense enemy fire, he courageously delayed the enemy to the last moment, enabling the withdrawal to continue successfully...”

General James M. Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne, said of DeGlopper:

“In the chaos of battle, he made a choice that blazed a trail for others to follow. Such men do not die; they remake our world.”

Others called him the “glider infantry’s guardian angel,” a simple soldier turned legend.

Legacy Etched in Blood and Grace

DeGlopper’s grave lies in Normandy American Cemetery—silent witness to a young man who paid the ultimate price so others might live.

His story is more than a tale of combat. It is a testament to the unbreakable bonds forged in smoke and sacrifice. To stand when all others fall back. To face death with open eyes. To give everything for brothers in arms.

For veterans and civilians alike, his legacy whispers a hard truth: Courage is often measured in moments lost to time—but found in hearts that refuse to quit.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Charles DeGlopper’s death was a violent end—but also a seed. A call to honor those who stand for something larger than themselves, and to carry the fire onward, scar by scar.

His sacrifice lives beyond medals and plaques—in every man and woman who stands in defense of what is right and true.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. 82nd Airborne Division Association, Legends of the 82nd 3. Normandy American Cemetery Records 4. Gavin, James M., Airborne Warfare 5. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation