Charles N. DeGlopper's Medal of Honor sacrifice at Normandy

Dec 19 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper's Medal of Honor sacrifice at Normandy

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on that shattered hillside, bullets tearing the air at his back. His unit was falling back, desperation clawing their retreat. The world narrowed to one mission: hold the line until his brothers could live to fight another day.

Background & Faith

Born in Albany, New York, Charles was rooted in a simple, honest life. The son of working-class steelworkers, he carried their grit and resolve into uniform. A baptized child of the faith, he lived by quiet conviction. His morality was forged not just in church pews, but on baseball fields and factory floors—a sense of duty deeper than any medal.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” echoes quietly here, the heartbeat of his silent stand. His faith was a bastion when war's chaos broke loose.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Normandy, France. The blood-soaked hell after D-Day had not abated. DeGlopper fought with Company C, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. The unit advanced through Maheu village, moving toward fortified German positions on the ridge.

The enemy fire was brutal. Snipers nested like vipers; artillery shells exploded like thunderclaps ripping sky and earth apart. When orders came to withdraw, panic threatened—no man wanted to die in that mud, but no man wanted to lose his battle brothers either.

DeGlopper stepped forward.

He volunteered to cover the withdrawal alone. Armed with a single M1 rifle, he advanced uphill against an endless stream of German soldiers. His fire slowed their charge, buying seconds that stretched to minutes. Her patrol watched, hearts clenched, as he fought off overwhelming numbers alone.

He was wounded, twice—once in the back, once in the leg. But DeGlopper refused to retreat. His final burst of rifle fire silenced an enemy machine gun nest.

When he finally fell, it was face down, rifle in hand, blood soaking earth that had swallowed too many young lives. His sacrifice pulled men from certain death that day.

Recognition

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945, the citation laid bare the brutal valor he showed:

"Private Charles N. DeGlopper distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action on 9 June 1944. Though painfully wounded he moved forward and fired upon the advancing enemy, diverting their fire, and enabled his comrades to withdraw safely."^[1]

Leaders recalled him as a soldier who gave everything without hesitation. Lieutenant Colonel Kinnard, his commander, called him “the finest example of courage and selflessness I ever saw.”

Legacy & Lessons

DeGlopper’s story is etched into battlefields and hearts. The hill where he fell was named DeGlopper Hill, a permanent reminder of the cost that paved the liberation of Europe.

No one fights harder than the man who knows his sacrifice is not for himself.

His courage is not just war’s blood, but faith’s reckoning. It challenges veterans and civilians alike—how do we honor those who gave all? By living a life worthy of their sacrifice, by standing steadfast in our own battles, visible or unseen.

The scarred warrior’s path is lonely, but it teaches this ever-truth: Redemption is bought in blood; legacy, in loyalty; and peace, in sacrifice.

“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)

Charles N. DeGlopper lives on—a silhouette of raw sacrifice against the fading light. May we carry his torch with reverence, in every battlefield we face.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers (Simon & Schuster, 1992) 3. 101st Airborne Division Archives, After Action Reports – Normandy Campaign