Charles N. DeGlopper's Normandy stand and Medal of Honor sacrifice

Dec 30 , 2025

Charles N. DeGlopper's Normandy stand and Medal of Honor sacrifice

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on that shattered ridge, the air sliced by enemy bullets and choking smoke. His squad was gone, fallen back or cut down. Wounded and weary, he made his last stand—not to save himself, but for the men behind him crawling desperately to safety. In his final breath, he became a wall between death and his brothers.

Roots of Resolve

Born in Mechanicville, New York, in 1921, DeGlopper grew into a farm boy forged by honest labor and quiet faith. Raised in a working-class family, he carried a simple creed: to do right, no matter the cost. This was a man who believed in honor—not for glory—but because it was commanded and expected.

He volunteered for the Army in 1942, a young man answering a nation’s call. The faith of a country fighting tyranny rested on shoulders like his: steady, humble, and fierce in conviction. His comrades remembered a man who prayed quietly before battle, seeking strength beyond flesh and bone.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Just days after D-Day, the 82nd Airborne Division scrambled to hold the gains they’d won behind enemy lines near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy. Pfc. DeGlopper was part of Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment.

Their objective was brutal: cover the withdrawal of retreating platoons trapped in the hedgerows. The Germans poured fire—machine guns, mortars, rifles—turning the fields into death zones.

DeGlopper volunteered to cover the retreat. Alone, he climbed onto an exposed ridge. Every dozen steps was a gamble with death. He emptied his rifle, reloaded, shouted warnings. His return fire stalled German advances, saved countless men. His figure, silhouetted against the chaos, caught every bullet meant for his friends.

He fell, riddled with wounds, refusing to quit until his dying echo silenced the enemy’s push.

Recognition in Blood

For that selfless act, Charles N. DeGlopper posthumously received the Medal of Honor—the highest honor for valor on the battlefield.

His citation describes:

“With utter disregard for his own safety, Private DeGlopper stood in the open, exposing himself to direct fire, to protect the withdrawal of a platoon of his company... His heroic self-sacrifice prevented the destruction of many of his comrades and contributed materially to the success of his battalion’s mission.”[^1]

General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the 82nd Airborne a decade later, called such actions “the very essence of infantry valor and the soul of the airborne trooper.” Fellow soldiers spoke of DeGlopper’s courage as “quiet steel”—not thunderous bravado, but an unbreakable will.

Legacy Etched in Valor

DeGlopper’s story is more than battlefield legend. It is the sacred weight of sacrifice—one man standing when all hope waned.

He wrapped his life around the armor of brotherhood. To him, bravery was not the absence of fear, but the defiance of it for others.

His grave in the Normandy American Cemetery marks a place where courage outpaced death. His name adorns schools and streets, but neither honor nor stone can hold his full meaning. It’s in the blood-bought freedom we often take for granted.

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

Men like Charles N. DeGlopper remind every generation that valor—true valor—is never about glory. It is about holding the line so others live. In that final, brutal stand, he showed us the cost of freedom and the depth of a warrior’s heart.

His legacy is a call: to live with courage, fight with purpose, and never forget the price paid by those who bore scars we do not see.

[^1]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II