Charles N. DeGlopper’s Saint-Lô Sacrifice Earned the Medal of Honor

Dec 13 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper’s Saint-Lô Sacrifice Earned the Medal of Honor

Bullets tore the sky above the tiny ridge. Smoke choked the air. Men fell left and right. Somewhere behind him, comrades screamed for cover, retreating fast. But Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. did not run. He stood alone — rifle blazing, a living wall between death and the men who lived only because he died.

The Battle That Defined Him

It was June 9, 1944, near Saint-Lô, Normandy. The 82nd Airborne had landed in the chaos of D-Day’s bloody aftermath. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment was ordered to hold a critical causeway against withering German fire, buying time for reinforcements. DeGlopper, a private first class in Company C, stepped forward.

With no support, no backup, he covered the retreat with relentless fire. Bullets struck the earth around him. Machine guns hammered. Mortar shells bloomed like deadly flowers. Still, he fired. Still, he moved forward, pressing the line alone.

His last act sealed a lifeline for his brothers-in-arms. He died not in vain but in full sacrificial glory. He made the ultimate trade: one life for many. “Never was so much owed by so many to one man,” a soldier later declared.

Background & Faith

Born in New York in 1921, Charles grew up in a working-class family grounded in faith and hard work. Raised in a devout household, he learned early that honor wasn’t a word — it was a life sentence. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). That verse rang in his heart through boot camp and beyond, driving him to become a steadfast soldier.

He enlisted in 1942, embracing the warrior’s code without hesitation. No glamor, no glory sought — just duty. His quiet faith was a steel spine amid the horrors unfolding overseas. Where others faltered, he held.

The Hell of Saint-Lô

The fighting on that ridge was merciless. The German defenders had entrenched themselves in pillboxes and fields bristling with machine guns. The Americans faced withering fire that shredded squads like paper.

The order came: fall back. But somebody had to stay. DeGlopper heard the call — fought deeper into the danger. His M1 rifle hammering bursts of death, he drew fire away from the retreating companies.

Witnesses recalled how he “moved from one foxhole to another, firing at the enemy to cover our withdrawal.” A firefight gone feral, every step risking death. When the end came, he died far forward on that ridge — the last man standing.

Honors Hard-Earned in Blood

For his valor, Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. His citation etched in history reads like a prayer of sacrifice:

“Private First Class DeGlopper distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... He refused to withdraw and continued to fire at the enemy, thereby enabling his platoon to reach safety..."¹

Major General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne, lauded his steadfast courage. Fellow soldiers remembered him as “the embodiment of American grit — fierce, fearless, and faithful.”

His grave lies far from the fields he died on, but his story rides the winds of every battlefield where brother stands for brother.

Legacy of the Last Stand

DeGlopper’s sacrifice is not an echo from a forgotten war. It’s a beacon for those forged in fire — vets who know the cost of courage never fades. His choice on that ridge is raw testament: the line between life and death is held by those who refuse to break.

In every scar, every ruined field, his spirit patrols—reminding us sacrifice writes the truest history. To stand for others, even when it costs everything — that is the brotherhood of sacrifice.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified... for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. did not survive to tell his story. But his sacrifice screams louder than any survivor’s tale. Men owe him their lives, and all who fight must live with his testament: The bravest fight when no one can see. The strongest fall so others may rise.

Sources:

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II, Charles N. DeGlopper Jr. 2. Ambrose, Stephen E., Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany (Simon & Schuster, 1997) 3. The 82nd Airborne Division Association archives, Warrior Profiles: Charles N. DeGlopper Jr.