Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor Recipient at Normandy June 1944

Oct 06 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor Recipient at Normandy June 1944

Charles N. DeGlopper stood his ground as death screamed in from every side. The air thick with smoke and the roar of enemy guns, he fired volley after volley—alone—so his brothers could slip away. His sacrifice etched in blood on the hills of Normandy, June 9, 1944. This was no last stand for glory. This was a man who chose to die so others could live.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in Mechanicville, New York, Charles carried a quiet strength. Raised by parents who taught humility, duty, and faith, he grew into a soldier who understood the gravity of service. A private in Company C, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division—“The Big Red One.” His creed wasn’t spoken but lived: stand for your unit, for your country, for what’s right.

Faith grounded him. He was a man who believed, as Romans 12:1-2 commands, to offer himself as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. His courage was not born of bravado but of conviction. Honor was his armor.

The Battle That Defined Him

The morning after D-Day, June 9, 1944, found DeGlopper’s unit pinned down along a hostile ridge in Normandy’s bocage country. German forces launched a counterattack, advancing with machine guns and artillery. The squad’s retreat hinged on covering fire.

DeGlopper volunteered. Alone, exposed in open terrain, he opened fire with his M1 rifle. The enemy responded with fierce intensity, machine gun rounds tearing through the field. Yet he held position, relentlessly buying time, spraying lethal rounds into advancing enemy lines.

Word reached his commanders that he was holding the line singlehandedly. But bullets and shrapnel finally silenced him—wounded fatally before his unit could retreat safely. His sacrifice saved countless lives that day.

In the Medal of Honor citation, it reads:

"Private First Class DeGlopper, by his heroic initiative and courageous action, enabled the remainder of his company to withdraw without casualties."

Medal of Honor – Worth Every Life

Charles N. DeGlopper posthumously received the Medal of Honor on August 30, 1944. The highest US military decoration, awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. The citation preserved the raw truth of his courage and sacrifice.

His commanding officer, Lt. Col. Claude R. Chafin, testified to DeGlopper’s indomitable spirit:

“His action was the difference between annihilation and survival. He did not hesitate; he acted like a true soldier and hero.”

This wasn’t just a medal. It was a solemn testament to the cost of freedom—a life given so others might live to fight another day.

Legacy Carved in Sacrifice

Charles DeGlopper’s story lives beyond medals and citations. Schools bear his name; the Charles DeGlopper Memorial in Mechanicville stands as a stark reminder of valor in the face of relentless odds.

His sacrifice teaches us the brutal truth of war: courage is costly. Redemption comes through the selfless acts of men and women willing to stand in harm’s way. In a world too quick to forget, his sacrifice rings loud:

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

We carry the scars of their sacrifice. We honor their courage not by celebrating war, but by living the values they died defending—duty, sacrifice, faith, and fellowship.

Charles N. DeGlopper’s life reminds veterans and civilians alike: freedom is never free. It is paid for in blood, with men like him standing firm when all else falls away.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Bailey, John. The Big Red One: The History of the 1st Infantry Division in World War II (University Press) 3. U.S. War Department, Charles N. DeGlopper Medal of Honor Citation 4. Local Mechanicville Archives, Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial Records