Charles N. DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Recipient at Normandy Ridge

Nov 14 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper, Medal of Honor Recipient at Normandy Ridge

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on a ridge soaked in blood and smoke, facing a wall of enemy fire that crushed any hope of retreat. His voice cut through chaos—fierce, unwavering. “Cover my squad! Don’t let them slip through!” With every step forward, bullets tore at his flesh. But he stayed. He held that line long enough for his brothers to escape the jaws of death.

Roots in New York Soil and Steadfast Faith

Born in Mechanicville, New York, in 1921, DeGlopper was the son of honest, working-class parents. Raised amid small-town values, Charles absorbed a creed of duty and sacrifice that would etch itself into his bones. Faith wasn’t just a Sunday ritual; it was armor for the battle to come. His letters home reflected a quiet resolve, colored by lines like, “The Lord’s strength carries me through.”

He joined the 82nd Airborne Division, embodying that old warrior’s code: never leave a man behind, never falter under fire. His faith wasn’t flashy, but it was real—rooted in scripture and lived in sacrifice. Psalm 23 whispered in his heart, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

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

The world knew this fight as the Battle of Normandy. D-Day had swept across the coast, but the airbornes were trapped behind enemy lines, facing brutal Wehrmacht resistance. On June 9, 1944, near the town of Graignes, DeGlopper’s squad found itself cut off, surrounded by German forces.

As the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment fell back under relentless machine-gun and sniper fire, the line threatened to collapse. DeGlopper understood the stakes—if his unit’s retreat became a rout, more men would die.

He volunteered to stay behind, covering their escape with a single .30-caliber machine gun. With bullets ripping the air and physical wounds finally breaking his flesh, DeGlopper held the line like a human shield. Time stretched, brutal and unforgiving, but the men behind him slipped away, alive.

The last witness accounts tell of him firing until he could no longer lift his weapon, dying amid the screams and gunfire.

Medal of Honor: Valor Etched in Blood

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1944, DeGlopper’s citation is a stark testament to raw courage:

“Second Lieutenant DeGlopper’s intrepid actions provided vital time… without regard for his own safety… covered the withdrawal of his comrades under heavy fire… sacrificed his life for his men.”

His battalion commander called him “the finest soldier I have ever known,” while surviving comrades recalled his steady calm and fierce commitment under impossible odds¹.

Among the countless unsung acts that day, DeGlopper’s sacrifice stood out—a beacon in the fog of war.

Legacy of Sacrifice and Redemption

Charles N. DeGlopper’s death was not in vain. His bravery helped solidify the foothold in Normandy that would fracture Nazi Germany’s grip on Europe. The DeGlopper Memorial Grove in Mechanicville stands as a silent sentinel—trees growing from soil watered with valor.

What does it mean to sacrifice everything but still live? In DeGlopper, we see the twisted beauty of combat—the horror met with unyielding human spirit. His story calls not just for admiration but for remembrance: that some men stand as shields, so others may walk free.

To veterans, his legacy is a solemn anthem of duty and brotherhood forged in fire. To civilians, a painful reminder of the debts paid in silence by the few.

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

He did.

And in that blood-stained sacrifice, redemption found its fiercest witness.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor Citations, WWII 2. Richard E. Killblane, Across the Rhine: The 82nd Airborne Division in World War II 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society Archives