Charles N. DeGlopper’s Final Stand That Earned a Medal of Honor

Jan 28 , 2026

Charles N. DeGlopper’s Final Stand That Earned a Medal of Honor

Blood on the Ridge. Silence chasing the roar.

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on French soil, an island of defiance against an ocean of enemy bullets. The 82nd Airborne was forced back. Retreat wasn’t an option—not without sacrifice.

Born to Stand in the Fire

Charles Neil DeGlopper came from Dunkirk, New York—a small town where grit was learned in backyards and faith held the family steady. Raised in simple Christian roots, his life wasn’t marked by grandeur but by steadfast resolve. A man who believed that character was forged on the anvil of silence and hardship, he answered the call without hesitation.

His faith, quiet yet unshakable, would be a backbone when death shadowed every step.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” — Psalm 23:4

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Normandy. Two days after the D-Day landings, the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division pushed inland near Carentan. The plan hit a brutal snag. German forces launched a counterattack, threatening to cut off American men, to shred their fragile foothold.

DeGlopper’s squad was pinned down. The column was ordered to pull back to safety—an option that carried the risk of leaving men stranded under enemy fire.

And so DeGlopper did the unthinkable.

Where others saw only retreat, he saw a mission. To delay the enemy, to buy time for his comrades to escape—a man against machine guns, mortars, and tank shells.

With rifle blazing, Charles charged a heavily fortified ridge. Alone, he stood as a blazing wall of fire between the enemy and his platoon.

His Sergeant later said:

“Charlie was a single spark, a desperate roar standing against certain death to give the others a chance.”

Shot repeatedly, bleeding, faltering—he refused to fall back. Every bullet chipped away at flesh, but not his will.

“He died in the line of duty,” the official citation would say. Yet from that blood-soaked ridge, his final stand gained precious minutes. His platoon escaped.

Honors Carved in Valor

Posthumous Medal of Honor—America’s highest military decoration—etched with his name on October 19, 1944.

DeGlopper’s citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

It tells the story plainly. And yet, plain words cannot hold the weight of a man who refused to yield when every sense screamed retreat.

Generals and comrades alike recognized the selflessness in his act. Brigadier General Maxwell Taylor, 82nd Airborne Division commander, remarked,

“His sacrifice was the shield that saved many—true heroism beyond all measure.”

Blood, Sacrifice, Legacy

Charles N. DeGlopper’s story is a stark reminder: heroism isn’t abstract glory. It is raw, brutal sacrifice. It is pain and loss, wrapped tight in duty and love for brotherhood.

The ridge where he fell became a symbol—etched in Normandy's soil and American memory. Schools and streets bear his name. But above all, the legacy lies in the truth that freedom is bought with blood, and courage is its currency.

His faith shone brightest in the darkest hour, a testament not just to a soldier’s grit, but to the redemptive power of purpose beyond the battlefield.

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

In every veteran who stands watch today, Charles’s roar echoes. A call to bear the weight, endure the pain, and hold fast—not for glory, but for the men beside you, the country behind you, and the light beyond the gunfire.

This was no reckless charge, but a holy bearing of the cross on foreign ground. The scars he earned are not just wounds—they are the foundation of our freedom.

We remember. We honor. We carry the torch.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. 82nd Airborne Division Archives, Historical Battle Reports, June 1944 3. Maxwell Taylor, Command Memories, 1952 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Citation for Charles N. DeGlopper