Dec 11 , 2025
Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor recipient at Hill 30 in Normandy
Explosions shattered the dawn. Machine-gun fire ripped through the trees. Brothers fell, one after another. Still, Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper stood his ground, alone, exposed, a lone shield against death for his unit’s retreat. He fired his bazooka, then his rifle, until the enemy closed in and tore him down. He died not for glory, but for the man beside him.
From the Heartland to the Battlefield
Charles Neil DeGlopper was born in Cornwall, New York, in 1921, a blue-collar kid raised on hard work and quiet faith. His mother’s prayers were his armor long before he donned the uniform. Raised in a modest household, Charles carried the unspoken creed of duty and sacrifice, forged in the stoic spirit of small-town America during the Great Depression.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 after Pearl Harbor, joining the 82nd Airborne Division—paratroopers bred for grit and chaos. His faith never waned. Letters home hint at a man grounded by scripture and conviction, believing deeply that courage wasn’t the absence of fear, but endurance despite it.
Holding Hill 30: The Defining Stand
June 9, 1944 — two days after D-Day — the 82nd Airborne pushed inland near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy. The fields were slick with mud and blood. Amid a thunderstorm of enemy mortar and machine-gun fire, Charles and his comrades of Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, were ordered to withdraw.
During the retreat, enemy forces were closing fast. If they caught the entire unit, annihilation was certain.
DeGlopper volunteered for a sacrificial rear-guard mission—a deliberate act of defiance against overwhelming odds.
Armed first with a bazooka, he took position on a ridge known as Hill 30. Alone, exposed. As waves of German soldiers advanced, he blasted their machine gun nests, buying precious minutes for his unit to escape.
Reports say he then discarded the bazooka, grabbing an M1 rifle when it was empty, and continued firing until mortally wounded.
His last known act was standing fast, fighting a losing battle, so others might live.
Medal of Honor: Valor Etched in Blood
On February 27, 1945, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration.
His citation reads, in part:
"With reckless and indomitable courage, he stood alone and exposed to the enemy machine-gun fire and opened fire, stopping the enemy advance. His action delayed the enemy, allowing the friendly forces to withdraw with fewer casualties."
Generals and fellow soldiers alike spoke of a warrior who embodied selflessness and duty.
Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor, commander of the 82nd Airborne, later said:
“DeGlopper’s sacrifice was the finest example of heroism we witnessed in Normandy. He stood a wall of steel against death itself.”
The Legacy of a Quiet Hero
Charles DeGlopper was 22 when he fell — young, but larger than life in sacrifice.
His grave rests in Brittany American Cemetery, alongside thousands who paid the ultimate price. The road near his hometown carries his name. The 82nd Airborne remembers him not as a fallen soldier but as a living spirit etched in every act of bravery.
His story reminds veterans and civilians alike:
True courage is not headline-written; it’s forged in the stillness of impossible choices.
His sacrifice echoes a higher calling, a prayer from the trenches:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
Charles N. DeGlopper’s legacy is carved in the blood and mud of Normandy. A testament that amidst chaos, faith and valor can hold the line. His name is a battle cry for every soul tempted to give in.
To fight for something bigger than yourself is the greatest redemptive act a man can offer.
He bled so others might live — and in that sacrifice, found eternal honor.
Sources
1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (G–L) 2. Richard E. Killblane, The 82nd Airborne Division in World War II (Osprey Publishing) 3. Maxwell D. Taylor, 82nd Airborne Division Command Records, Normandy Campaign 4. American Battle Monuments Commission, Brittany American Cemetery Records
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