Charles N. DeGlopper, Normandy rifleman and Medal of Honor hero

Dec 13 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper, Normandy rifleman and Medal of Honor hero

A lone rifleman stands against the storm. Bullets tear the earth around him; comrades retreat behind the deadly wall. Charles N. DeGlopper does not falter. He fires—steady, relentless—buying seconds, buying lives. The line holds long enough. But he pays the ultimate price.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1921, Charles DeGlopper grew up in Ticonderoga, New York—simple town, hard soil. A mill town framed by Adirondack mountains, where grit meant survival. Son of a laborer, raised on honest work and sharp faith. His faith wasn’t a private comfort alone; it was armor.

“The Lord is my shepherd,” he must have whispered in the dark, as fear crept in. Charles enlisted in the Army in 1942, joining Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. A man built for war—and for sacrifice. His life, his code revolved around service before self. No glory hog. Just duty.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Seven days after D-Day. The blood of Normandy raining onto the beaches. The 82nd Airborne pushes aggressively inland, seizing footholds against fierce German resistance. The small village of La Fière draws blood and fire.

Company C faces counterattacks that threaten to shatter their position. They must fall back. But the retreat could turn into chaos—open kills for the enemy. Someone has to stand in the breach.

It was Charles.

Equipped with a barbed wire cutter and his M1 rifle, he moved forward into the cold storm of machine-gun fire. Alone, exposed, under hellish carnage. He cut wire obstacles, allowing his buddies to flee, then returned to cover the withdrawal—single-handedly.

From the Medal of Honor citation:

“DeGlopper realized the vital necessity of covering the retreat of his comrades. Taking a position in full view of the enemy, he opened fire upon the enemy machineguns at point-blank range.”

He repelled wave after wave despite wounds. He fought until he fell, struck down by enemy fire. His sacrifice enabled the rest of his platoon to escape, live to fight another day.

Recognition Earned in Blood

Charles N. DeGlopper’s heroism earned him the Medal of Honor posthumously—our nation’s highest badge for valor. The President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, called his actions “a shining example of supreme courage.”^1

Comrades remember a quiet, disciplined man who never sought praise. His courage was raw, selfless, absolute. He embodied the Biblical warrior’s heart:

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

The soldier who inspired his division during that brutal fight left a legacy thicker than bloodshed—one carved in sacrifice and steadfastness.

The Living Legacy

DeGlopper’s death stopped a rout. His stand gave the 82nd Airborne a foothold in Normandy’s brutal, mud-slick battlefields. His name is etched not just on medals, but on the memorials and streets bearing his name. The Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial Park in Ticonderoga reminds us: heroism wears no medals before it’s earned in hell.

War is chaos. War teaches what peace cannot. It strips us bare, forces us to choose who we are.

Charles chose to be the shield. He took the bullet that might have ended many lives—not knowing if he’d live to see dawn. This is the mark of true sacrifice—when a man stands so others can walk free.

Brothers and sisters in arms, and the nation they fought for—remember DeGlopper. Remember the cost of freedom, paid in unspoken, unshakable faith. Our scars are not signs of weakness, but proof of battles endured and brotherhood sealed in blood.

In the grit and grime of combat, amid death and despair, hope is a soldier’s last weapon. Charles wielded it with quiet ferocity. So must we.

Sources 1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (G–L)” 2. 82nd Airborne Division Association, “The Heroism of Charles N. DeGlopper” 3. Department of Defense Archives, Normandy Campaign Reports