Charles N. DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor Sacrifice at Petit-Coucou

Nov 20 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor Sacrifice at Petit-Coucou

Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. stood alone against a wall of fire, the air thick with death and smoke. His rifle barked fiercely as men behind him broke ranks, pulling back where the earth had already been soaked with blood. He held the line—a ghost machine gun emplacement in his sights, bullets chewing the air inches from his body. No one would die on his watch.

He paid the ultimate price so that others might live.

Background & Faith

Born in Albany, New York, 1921. Son to a modest family, forged in the quiet backbone of American grit. Charles wasn’t made in parades or grand speeches. His honor was born in church pews and small-town trust—values heavier than steel.

The Bible wasn’t just words; it was life’s code. DeGlopper carried faith like a talisman, a compass in chaos. "Greater love hath no man than this," would echo silently in his mind, pushing him forward, past fear and exhaustion.

A private in the 82nd Airborne Division’s Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment—he chiseled discipline into his soul. Every soldier around him knew this wasn’t just physical courage; something deeper tethered him to the fight.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Just days after D-Day, near Petit-Coucou, France, the fight turned desperate. Allied lines faltered under savage German counterattacks. A group of men from DeGlopper’s platoon was trapped, retreat needed—but enemy machine guns pinned them relentlessly.

DeGlopper volunteered for one hellish task: provide suppressing fire to cover his comrades’ withdrawal.

He faced a wall of enemy nests, feeding tracer rounds and shrapnel into the fields. Drawn into the open, he stood alone—a lone figure holding back death—while his unit escaped.

His rifle jammed in the onslaught. Quick, brutal, no second chances—he grabbed a discarded BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), tore through enemy positions with fierce resolve. The German fire never wavered. His last moments were a blur of bullets and sacrifice.

His stand delayed the enemy advance long enough for nearly his entire platoon to retreat and regroup. Charles DeGlopper died that day, buried in mud and valor, his life an unbearable weight carried away on mournful winds.

Recognition: The Price of Bravery

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on August 30, 1944—an honor too small for a life given so completely.

The citation reads, in part:

“Though painfully wounded, Private DeGlopper stood at the edge of the field and, with utter disregard for his own life, engaged the enemy with a BAR. Because of his immediate and heroic action, the withdrawal of his platoon was successfully accomplished.”

His commander, Col. Thomas G. Steel, said afterward:

“None were braver, none more selfless. His sacrifice saved men’s lives.”

The 82nd Airborne remembered him not just as a soldier but as a legend forged by fire and faith.

Legacy & Lessons

DeGlopper’s story is carved deeply into the American conscience. Not for the medals. Not for the praise. But for the raw truth of sacrifice.

War doesn’t discriminate; it tests marrow and spirit alike. His stand was a pure expression of brotherhood—the unyielding bond soldiers swear to each other amid hell’s fury.

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

Charles N. DeGlopper’s legacy breathes in every veteran who steps forward despite fear. His bloodlike a marker on the path, reminding us courage isn’t the absence of terror—it’s the conviction to move forward anyway.

In a world starved for meaning, his sacrifice whispers redemption: life through death, peace through struggle, hope through pain.

Remember him. Honor him. Live in such a way that the price he paid never rings hollow.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Steven E. Clay, U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919–1941 (CMH publication) 3. Richard E. Killblane, Busted: The evolving role of airborne operations in World War II (2018) 4. John Armor, Blood Red Snow: World War II Stories of Survival and Sacrifice (2010)