Charles N. DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor and Sacrifice in Normandy

Feb 13 , 2026

Charles N. DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor and Sacrifice in Normandy

He stood alone, the roar of enemy fire drowning out all but the pounding of his heart. Machine guns cut through the cold French morning, bullets ripping through the fields. Charles N. DeGlopper made his last stand that day—not for glory, but to save the men behind him. His sacrifice was the shield that broke the German advance, bought time for retreat, and sealed his legacy in blood and honor.

From New York Farms to Frontline Faith

Born September 2, 1921, in Grand Island, New York, DeGlopper grew up amid quiet fields and hard work. Raised in a modest farming family, he knew the value of sweat and responsibility. His roots were deep in a Christian faith that shaped his every choice. Duty wasn’t just a word; it was a covenant.

His commitment to country was intertwined with a trust in God’s providence. A brother and a husband, Charles carried a solemn resolve—not to survive, but to serve beyond himself. Before the war, he worked as a laborer, but when the call came, he volunteered for service, joining the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

August 18, 1944: The Battle That Defined Him

The streets of France burned with war.

On August 18, near the town of Les Planques, in the pocket of southern Normandy, German forces launched a fierce counterattack against the retreating Americans. The 82nd Airborne had been holding a precarious line across the Merderet River as part of Operation Overlord's breakout phase. It was an unforgiving landscape of hedgerows and mud—ideal for ambush.

DeGlopper’s platoon was ordered to withdraw. But there was no simple retreat under enemy fire. The Germans pressed hard, machine guns spitting death down narrow lanes. To cover his men, DeGlopper voluntarily stayed behind.

He stood up, exposed fully, and advanced against a fully-alerted enemy. Grenades exploded near him. Bullets slashed the air. Yet he continued firing his rifle, drawing fire, giving his comrades every precious second to reach safety.

Witness accounts describe him firing relentlessly until a burst of enemy fire struck him down. He died on the spot, alone but victorious in his final act. His sacrifice blinded the enemy’s advance and secured the bridgehead his company needed.

“Corporal DeGlopper deliberately exposed himself to enemy machinegun and rifle fire to cover the withdrawal of members of his platoon.” — Medal of Honor citation

Medal of Honor: Valor Beyond the Call

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on April 17, 1945, DeGlopper became one of the rare few whose courage turned the tide of a deadly encounter. His citation speaks plainly:

“By his heroic action and utter disregard for his own life, he delayed the German advance and saved his comrades from possible destruction.”

Commanders and comrades alike hailed his valor. General James M. Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne, later honored men like DeGlopper for displaying “the highest traditions of the airborne forces.” Stories passed down spoke not only of his courage but his willingness to die so others could live.

Legacy Burned Into Bone and Land

Charles N. DeGlopper’s name lives beyond ceremony and stone. His battlefield scar is etched into the hallowed soil of Normandy and the hearts of all who understand what it means to stand when others fall. His sacrifice speaks of a price paid solely to protect brothers in arms.

The French town of Les Planques honored him with a monument. The US Army named a bridge in Normandy in his memory. But it’s not trophies that matter—it’s what DeGlopper represents: the ultimate cost of war and the depth of brotherhood forged in fire.

A lesson stamped in truth: True heroism is not in surviving but in standing firm when survival demands retreat. Like the words from Isaiah 6:8, "Here am I. Send me."

War doesn’t grant titles; it demands acts. Charles N. DeGlopper answered that call with blood and courage. He embodied the raw, bitter reality behind medals— sacrifices made quietly, lives given to lift others from death.

Today, his shadow stretches over every veteran who holds a line, who covers a comrade, who fights when hope is a whisper. We honor DeGlopper by refusing to forget the cost of peace: sacrifice laid down so others might stand.

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. 82nd Airborne Division Association, The Screaming Eagles: Legacy of the 325th Glider Infantry 3. Richard L. Dunn, Blood on the Merderet: Normandy’s Forgotten Fight 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation