Charles N. DeGlopper's Normandy Sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Dec 07 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper's Normandy Sacrifice and Medal of Honor

The ground was soaked in blood, the air thick with smoke and screams. Somewhere in the chaos, a single man stood alone—rifle blazing, grit dug in deep. That man was Charles N. DeGlopper. He didn't just fight; he became the shield for his brothers, trading breath for their lives. His story is carved into the history of sacrifice—a warrior who held the line to the last bullet.

The Boy from Fulton, New York

Charles Norman DeGlopper grew up on quiet streets, but the roar of war called him away. A son of a modest family, grounded in faith and the unshakable dignity of hard work. His code wasn’t forged in book lessons; it grew from the gospel and the grit of everyday struggle.

A devout young man, Charles carried scripture with him—“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). His faith was not a whisper but a roar inside his chest, fueling resolve when fear tried to choke it out.

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

D-Day had passed. The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, slogged through the hedgerows of Normandy, France. On June 9, 1944, near the town of Graignes, the unit faced a brutal German counterattack. The Americans were forced to fall back—a deadly retreat under merciless fire.

DeGlopper volunteered for what many would call a death sentence. Alone, on an open slope, he stayed behind to cover his platoon's withdrawal. With a single Browning Automatic Rifle, he poured out relentless fire. His mission: hold the enemy’s advance long enough to save his brothers.

Enemy troops swarmed from three sides. DeGlopper was hit multiple times—thirteen bullet wounds to his body, evidence of unyielding defiance. Despite his pain, he refused to fall until his unit was safely away. He died there on the field, a warrior’s last stand blazing in the twilight.

Honors Earned in Blood

For this supreme act of valor, Charles N. DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration. His citation lays bare the raw heroism:

“With great daring and aggressiveness, he delivered deadly fire into the advancing Germans until he collapsed from wounds inflicted by automatic weapons and small arms fire… His outstanding courage, self-sacrifice, and devotion to duty enabled his platoon to withdraw safely.”

Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe later praised DeGlopper, saying:

“Without men such as he, the cause of freedom and democracy would have fared badly in the Normandy Campaign.”[^1]

His story is etched alongside the fiercest warriors of WWII—paratroopers who jumped into hell and fought tooth and nail to break the Nazi war machine.

The Legacy of a Warrior

Charles N. DeGlopper’s sacrifice echoes through generations. He embodied the principle of service above self. No glory-seeking. No looking back. Just the brutal, honest calculus of brotherhood that counts lives in the balance.

His grave lies in the Normandy American Cemetery. A patch of French earth, sacred and stained with heroism. Schools and roads bear his name; his life lesson carved deep in every story told by vets who fought beside him or followed his example.

His legacy is more than medals—it's a call to stand when all seems lost. To be the man who fights so others live. In a world quick to forget sacrifice, DeGlopper’s story screams: courage anchored in love is eternal.

His faith, his fight, and his final breath remind us what it means to give all. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). DeGlopper was a peacemaker forged in war’s furnace.

From that bloodied hill in Normandy, his spirit rises still—quiet, steady, unbreakable—the ultimate testament to what it means to be a brother in arms. It's not just about dying for your country. It’s about living through the sacrifice—holding fast to hope, redemption, and the scars that demand remembrance.

[^1]: Department of the Army, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II, United States Army Center of Military History.