Charles N. DeGlopper's D-Day Sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Feb 05 , 2026

Charles N. DeGlopper's D-Day Sacrifice and Medal of Honor

He saw the trench collapse under fire. The enemy swarmed like a wave ready to drown their retreat. Charles N. DeGlopper didn’t hesitate. Alone, under a storm of bullets, he stood in the open, firing at an unseen foe. His breath caught in gunfire and blood. His sacrifice held the line so his brothers could live.

The Man Behind the Medal

Charles Norman DeGlopper was no stranger to sacrifice. Born in 1921, in Salisbury, New York, he carried a quiet strength rooted deep in hard American soil. Raised with a humble reverence for duty, faith was a constant whisper in his life.

He was a man defined by a code—honor above self, courage above fear.

Before the war, he worked as a laborer, the kind of hard worker who understood struggle without complaint. His letters home linked his faith and fighting spirit, often closing with the words: “The Lord is my strength.”

A devout Christian, DeGlopper’s trust in God was unshakable. It was this faith that girded him in the worst moments of fear and fire.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. The French town of Les Dunes, moments after D-Day, was a crucible. The 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division was pinned by a German force bent on wiping them out. The men were ordered to pull back, but the enemy’s advance threatened to cut off the retreat.

DeGlopper recognized what had to be done.

Armed only with a rifle, he left the cover of his unit’s position. In plain sight, he opened fire against German tanks and infantry.

For ten brutal minutes, he stood alone, drawing rounds meant for others. His desperate defense slowed the enemy just enough for his platoon to escape across an open field. Then, hit by machine gun fire, he fell.

His final act? Covering the backs of his brothers-in-arms with his blood.

Medal of Honor: A Testament to Valor

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, DeGlopper’s citation captures the raw, grim heroism of that day:

“He faced overwhelming odds and severe enemy fire to delay the German advance and permit his unit to retreat safely. His gallantry and self-sacrifice reflect the highest traditions of the military service.”

His commander, Colonel Reuben Tucker, called him “the bravest man I ever knew.” Soldiers who made it out alive said his stand was nothing short of a miracle—a shield of courage split by bullets but never broken.

Lessons Etched in Blood and Memory

DeGlopper’s story is not just one of combat valor. It is a testament to the harsh truth of war—that sometimes one man becomes the anvil on which others forge their survival.

His footprints mark the soil where sacrifice meets redemption.

He teaches that courage is often quiet, selfless, and final.

Those who knew him—brothers-in-arms washed in shared loss—carry his legacy like a torch through the darkest trenches of today’s battles.

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

Charles N. DeGlopper died so others might live. Remember him not as a casualty, but as a shield—a man whose faith and grit carved a path through hell. In the blood and smoke, he found purpose greater than survival. And in that truth, we find ours.