Oct 02 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper's Last Stand Earned the Medal of Honor

They came at the ridge like death itself had a voice.

Bullets snapped through the air, screams swallowed by thunder. Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone, waist-deep in mud, with nothing but his M1 Garand and stubborn resolve. His squad retreated beneath enemy fire, a line breaking under overwhelming pressure. But Charlie stayed—covering their retreat with every ounce of grit burned into his soul.

He died there, a soldier in the rawest sense — bloodied, breathing, and unyielding.

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The Quiet Roots of a Warrior

Born June 2, 1921, in Mechanicville, New York, Charles N. DeGlopper was forged in the grit of small-town America. His upbringing was humble, his character built on steady work and quiet faith. Before soldiering, he was a farmhand. The land demanded patience. The church demanded humility.

“My mother taught me to pray,” DeGlopper once said, according to accounts, “and to do right even when no one’s watching.”

He carried that faith into his service—Private, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. His Code was protection. Honor before self. The sacred duty to shield one’s brothers.

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The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Normandy’s blood-soaked fields had not yet cooled from D-Day’s inferno. The 16th Infantry was deep in the hellish fight to push inland.

German forces swarmed, intent on cutting off the Americans’ advance. When his company was ordered to withdraw, it became clear: without cover, retreat meant slaughter.

DeGlopper made a choice no soldier should have to make—stand and fight alone.

With a Browning Automatic Rifle, he laid down continuous fire against a well-trained enemy, absorbing the storm of bullets aimed at his comrades. His suppression bought precious minutes, allowed wounded and weary men to pull back, regroup, live to fight another day.

He was hit multiple times, but he kept firing—until he fell, shot down in a ditch on the Saint-Lô road.

His sacrifice wasn’t reckless. It was decisive.

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Courage Recognized in Blood

For this, Charles N. DeGlopper was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The citation reads with solemn reverence:

"He showed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. By exposing himself to automatic weapons fire, DeGlopper covered the withdrawal of his platoon and enabled his comrades to meet the larger enemy force and break the attack."

General Terry Allen of the 1st Infantry Division called DeGlopper’s stand — “the kind of total sacrifice we will never forget.”

Brothers in arms remembered him as a quiet man who didn’t crave glory but demanded the utmost loyalty to those around him.

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Living Legacy: Courage to the End

Charlie’s grave lies thousands of miles from home, but his legacy refuses to fade.

DeGlopper’s story echoes in every trench, every smoke-choked battlefield, every soldier clutching their weapon in the dark wondering if they’ll make it through dawn.

His sacrifice is a ledger of courage written in blood—reminding us all that freedom’s cost is paid by men willing to stand when all else falls.

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

The man from Mechanicville left no grand words, only a life given so others might live.

His grit commands us—remember the fallen, bear the scars, honor the fight.

In the final calculus, it’s not medals or parades that define a warrior. It’s that cold, solemn choice to stay behind. To take the shot. To hold the line. To die so others might live.

That is the redemptive fire etched into Charles N. DeGlopper’s name.

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. 1st Infantry Division Archives, The Big Red One: History & Combat Operations 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation and Service Records

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