Charles N. DeGlopper's Medal of Honor and Last Stand in Normandy

Jan 21 , 2026

Charles N. DeGlopper's Medal of Honor and Last Stand in Normandy

The night air tore with machine-gun fire. Dead bodies draped the ridge like grim trophies. Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone, clutching his rifle, heart pounding beneath the hailstorm. His platoon was falling back. The enemy surged forward. Without hesitation, he stepped into the storm of bullets, an unyielding wall between death and his comrades.

The Boy from New York Who Swore to Serve

Charles Neil DeGlopper was born on September 25, 1921, in Fort Edward, New York—a town etched by quiet American grit. Raised in a working-class family, his childhood was framed by the simple values of hard work, faith, and loyalty. The echoes of Sunday sermons shaped the backbone of a boy raised to honor sacrifice.

His faith was not the kind whispered softly—it was a code lived hard. DeGlopper embraced discipline and humility, carrying a steady burden of responsibility. A soldier’s life demanded more than skill—it demanded heart.

In a letter home before deploying, he penned, _“I go where my country calls, trusting God to keep me steady. If I fall, I pray it’s with honor.”_

The Battle That Defined Him: Normandy, June 9, 1944

Three days after D-Day, the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, was locked in the bloody fight to hold the French town of Les Champs. The enemy pressed hard, and the American line wavered. DeGlopper’s platoon was ordered to withdraw across a draw, making escape the only option.

That’s when the hellstorm claimed him.

Faced with a hail of enemy fire, DeGlopper stood his ground atop a ridge, wielding his BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle). His mission was simple yet lethal: cover the retreat.

Against an advancing company of German infantry, he delivered relentless suppression fire. Bullets ripped past him, yet he moved nowhere else but forward with death stalking every step.

“I saw one man who held the line as long as he could...his actions gave us time to live,” — Captain Joseph Kurth, 502nd PIR. [^1]

His defense slowed the enemy’s advance long enough for his unit to cross a river and escape—safe. But DeGlopper never made it back.

Shot multiple times, he died on that ridge, a warrior’s last stand.

Medal of Honor: Valor Beyond Fear

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on August 8, 1944, DeGlopper’s heroism was etched into Army history. The official citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Pfc. DeGlopper volunteered to cover the withdrawal of his comrades and, by his indomitable fighting spirit, enabled the safety of his unit.” [^2]

Generals and peers alike mourned a soldier who epitomized sacrifice. Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor called DeGlopper’s stand “the stuff of legends—unyielding, fearless sacrifice that saved lives.”

Legacy Painted in Blood and Grace

Charles DeGlopper’s story is not just about guns and grenades. It is about the raw, brutal cost of war and the enduring power of faith and purpose amid chaos.

His sacrifice transcends the mud-soaked fields of Normandy. It stands as a quiet command: courage means standing alone when everyone else runs.

Every veteran who pulls on a uniform straps on DeGlopper’s relentless spirit.

Today, a bridge and a park in his hometown bear his name.

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

His life was a promise written in blood—a promise that freedom demands sacrifice, and those sacrifices carve the paths for generations.

Remember Charles N. DeGlopper—not just as a war hero, but as a man who chose to be the shield in the storm.

His death was not the end. It was a beginning for those who lived because he stood fast. That legacy endures in every heartbeat of liberty.

[^1]: James Scott, The Screaming Eagles: The 101st Airborne's Battle for Normandy, Ballantine Books, 1987. [^2]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II.