Nov 27 , 2025
Charles N. DeGlopper's Last Stand in Normandy's Wheat Field
A man stands alone, exposed to a hellfire storm, firing his rifle into the black maw of death. His body a shield, his breath ragged, his soul anchored to something larger than himself. Charles N. DeGlopper did not hesitate. He gave everything so others could live.
The Roots of a Soldier
Charles Neil DeGlopper grew up in Albany, New York—son of simple soil and stubborn faith. Raised by a family who believed in hard work and unwavering duty, he carried a quiet reverence for life and sacrifice. A Methodist by upbringing, DeGlopper's faith shaped the man behind the rifle: a code of honor steeped in humility and purpose.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, trading civilian certainty for the chaos of war. Like so many of that generation, he carried a burden no soldier asked for but all accepted—to defend a world teetering on the edge of darkness.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” —John 15:13
That scripture wasn’t just ink on page. It was a promise he lived and died by.
The Battle That Defined Him: Normandy, June 9, 1944
D-Day had cracked open the gates of Hell. But the fight for Normandy was far from over. Assigned to Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, DeGlopper was thrust into the thick mud and bullets of the French countryside.
On June 9, near the town of Les Forges, the 82nd faced a deadly German counterattack. Allied troops were pinned down, scattered, and forced into retreat. The command ordered a withdrawal across an open wheat field—a death trap under enemy artillery and machine-gun fire.
DeGlopper made a hellish choice.
He volunteered to stay behind and cover the retreat.
Single-handed, he stood in the open. Firing his Browning Automatic Rifle at swarming German infantry, he slowed their advance. Each burst of fire was a desperate prayer and a measured reckoning. His position became a target.
Bullets tore through his body. His last stand was bloody and brutal. But it held long enough for the rest of his company to escape the slaughter.
He died on that field, a living shield until his strength gave out.
Recognition of Valor
Charles N. DeGlopper’s sacrifice was posthumously honored with the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration—granted for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” His citation spells out raw courage:
“He stood alone and exposed his person to heavy fire from enemy machine guns and supported by artillery and mortar fire in order to cover the withdrawal of his comrades, inflicting numerous casualties on the enemy before being mortally wounded.”[^1]
Brigadier General James M. Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne, wrote of DeGlopper:
“His sacrifice insulated the withdrawal and saved many lives. This is unmatched heroism.”
Comrades remembered him as the man who would not run from death but faced it with rifle in hand, calm resolve in his eyes.
A Legacy Written in Blood and Honor
DeGlopper’s story is carved into the annals of American valor, but it is not just a footnote in history. It is a testament to the brutal calculus of war and the sacred duty of sacrifice. His blood watered the fields of liberty and redemption.
His grave in Lorraine American Cemetery in France marks the soil where his story ended, but his legacy continues—spoken in the silent prayers of veterans who know what it means to stand alone, and in the eyes of civilians who must never forget what freedom costs.
His courage wasn’t for glory. It was for life—our life.
In the aftermath, the words of Proverbs ring true:
“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” —Proverbs 10:22
DeGlopper’s sacrifice spared those he left behind from death. He bore the hellfire so others could hope, live, and fight on.
Charles N. DeGlopper’s story demands more than remembrance. It demands respect and a steadfast commitment to the battles we face today—within us and among us.
His last stand was an act of ultimate love, brutal and beautiful, raw and redemptive. The rifle was his witness, the battlefield his altar, and his sacrifice a promise that freedom must be shielded—even at the cost of a man’s life.
He answered the call. In the fog of war, his soul shined.
May we never forget the price paid in blood and courage.
[^1]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients – World War II,” Charles N. DeGlopper Citation
Related Posts
Daniel Daly, the Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor
Remembering Ross McGinnis' Medal of Honor sacrifice in Iraq
Jacklyn Lucas at Iwo Jima, 17-Year-Old Medal of Honor Recipient