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

Nov 17 , 2025

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

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on that French hill, under relentless fire, with every heartbeat packed full of defiance and desperation. Eyes fixed forward, he fired his M1 rifle into the choking smoke and shrapnel. His unit was retreating behind him—scrambling, terrified, alive because he chose to hold the line. Every shot burned a prayer into the air. Blood and steel tasted in his mouth, but he fired. He gave them a chance to live. He died there. No glory in dying. Only purpose.

Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1921, Charles grew up in Cobleskill, New York, wrapped in the quiet values of hard work and faith. Raised in a devout family, his life mirrored the humble honesty of small-town America. Faith wasn’t just something punctual on Sundays—it was a compass in the storm.

His character molded by honest sweat, Charles enlisted in the Army in 1942. The world was a mess of chaos and carnage. But he carried the code of honor close: protect your brothers, face fear head-on, and never abandon the mission. He lived by a creed forged in Sabbath prayer and battlefield grit.

The Battle That Defined Him

June 9, 1944. Normandy. Days after D-Day, the Allies pushed inland but the fighting was savage. Charles served in Company C, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, of the 82nd “All American” Airborne Division. Their mission: hold a crucial crossroads near the town of Les Champs-de-Briouze.

Enemy machine guns raked the field. Artillery screamed. The German forces launched counterattacks to reclaim ground the Americans clawed from mud and blood.

In the midst of confusion and chaos, an order came: retreat. Men scrambled back. But retreat meant death if the enemy pressed too close. Someone had to buy them time.

Charles stepped forward.

Under searing fire, he stood on an exposed ridge firing at the enemy. His M1 rifle cracked relentlessly. His rate of fire slowed the German advance enough to let his squad withdraw safely. He held his ground alone, firing until he fell, mortally wounded.

His sacrifice echoed across the battlefield—as one officer later said, “He saved the lives of many who would otherwise have been lost.”

Recognition Rendered in Blood

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—America’s highest battlefield honor—for his selfless gallantry. The citation describes his actions as:

“Singlehandedly held off overwhelming enemy machine gun and rifle fire," allowing his unit to complete its withdrawal and regroup.

The Medal was presented to his family weeks later. Comrades remembered him not for the medal, but for the brother who faced death so others could live.

Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor said of Charles:

“Here was a young man who, without hesitation, stood in the face of death with unwavering courage.”

Legacy Written in Flesh and Spirit

Decades after the guns fell silent, Charles N. DeGlopper’s story still burns. A modest town’s bridge bears his name. The pathway he held still echoes with the footsteps of those he saved. His sacrifice is not a distant history—it is a living lesson in sacrifice, responsibility, and redemption.

What does it mean to face death and choose to stand? To shoulder the unbearable burden so others don’t? It is a question for all who wear the uniform, and those who benefit from their sacrifice in peace.

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

Charles answered that call without hesitation. His blood was paid in full so that freedom might survive.

The combat veteran’s scars don’t just mark his body; they etch his spirit. Charles N. DeGlopper’s stand under fire reminds us all that courage is a choice. Purpose is forged in sacrifice. In a world hungry for heroes, his legacy whispers: live worthy of the cost paid in blood.