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

Dec 13 , 2025

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

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone in a hailstorm of bullets, the weight of a shattered line pressing behind him. His men were dying—falling back under relentless Nazi fire near Saint-Lô, Normandy. The air was thick with smoke and sweat. One man, one rifle, one desperate stand to save others.

He didn’t live to see the dawn. But his sacrifice carved a path for many to survive.

Born of Grit and Grace

Charles N. DeGlopper grew up in Greene, New York, a son of simple, steadfast American roots. Raised in a working-class family, he knew the value of hard work and loyalty. Not a man given to pride, but one of quiet strength.

Faith ran in his blood. A Catholic upbringing seeded humility and courage, a code to live and die by: serve your brothers, stand for the weak, lay down your life if need be.

He carried that creed into the infantry, becoming a paratrooper of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Steely and unassuming, yet ready for the hell to come.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 18, 1944. Near the hamlet of La Fière in Normandy, a pivotal clash erupted in the struggle to break out from the crowded bocage country. The 82nd Airborne was tasked with securing a vital bridge over the Merderet River.

DeGlopper’s company was swept back under withering machine-gun fire. To stop the enemy from breaking through and slaughtering his comrades retreating across the bridge, DeGlopper volunteered for a one-man assault.

Armed with his M1 Garand, he charged across an exposed field. Bullets tore through the air. As his rifle barked, every step was a fight against death.

He became a living shield.

His furious counterattack drew enemy fire away from the bridge, buying precious time for his men to escape. Though shot multiple times, he pressed on until the end.

The Medal of Honor citation recounts that his actions "enabled his comrades to withdraw safely" before he succumbed to wounds.

He was 21.

Honors Earned in Blood

DeGlopper’s Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.

“Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper’s unyielding courage and self-sacrifice were instrumental in saving his unit,” wrote his battalion commander. “His valor embodies the highest traditions of the airborne forces.”

He also received the Purple Heart and campaign medals marking his participation in the European Theater.

The 82nd Airborne remembers him as a brother who gave everything for his battle family.

An Enduring Testament

Charles DeGlopper’s story is not one of glory, but of grit and giving. The battlefields do not praise the fallen with fanfare. They tell their stories with blood and silence.

His life echoes the brutal truth of war—the cost is deep, and often lives remain a whisper in the history of sacrifice. Yet every scar carved by bullets holds a lesson: courage is a choice made in the darkest moments, sacrifice is the price of brotherhood.

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

His legacy is etched into the soil of Normandy and the hearts of those who carry the fight forward. For veterans still haunted, his stand holds hope for purpose beyond pain. For civilians, a stark reminder: freedom demands guardians willing to bleed unseen.

Charles N. DeGlopper died to save others. In that eternal sacrifice—there is redemption. His story whispers, forever:

Stand firm. Protect your own. No one fights alone.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients — World War II 2. 82nd Airborne Division Archives, Regimental Histories: 505th PIR, Normandy Campaign 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation 4. MilitaryTimes Hall of Valor, Charles N. DeGlopper Profile