Feb 05 , 2026

Charles N. DeGlopper's Stand at the Seine That Saved Comrades

Charles N. DeGlopper stood alone on a ridge beside the swollen mighty Seine. Machine-gun fire spit death all around him. His rifle cracked into the fog, digging a corridor of bullets through the enemy lines. He wasn’t running. He couldn’t. His men were falling back—retreat was the only way to survive. But someone had to cover the withdrawal. That someone was DeGlopper.

He chose the ridge, the killing ground, and death itself.

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Humble Origins and a Warrior’s Code

Born in 1921, from Greenville, New York—a small town sewn together by hard work, grit, and faith. DeGlopper grew strong in a family rooted in quiet Christian values, the kind that unfold in everyday acts: work, respect, and sacrifice. Honor was not flashy. It was a shield worn close, unspoken but heavy.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, trading farming fields for the mud and fire of global war. Assigned to the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division—the Big Red One—a unit scarred in North Africa and Sicily, thirsty for justice and peace. His combat wasn’t just blood and noise; it was a test of every lesson learned at home: courage under pressure, protecting your brother beside you, standing when others fall.

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The Battle That Defined Him

August 9, 1944. Near the village of Les Rois, France, the Allies pushed toward Paris. The Seine River was their gateway. The Germans knew its value and poured all firepower into holding it.

DeGlopper’s company was pinned down, ordered to retreat across a narrow, rickety bridge. But retreat would mean certain slaughter. Enemy machine guns and snipers sprayed deadly bullets. Panic threatens to rip a unit apart in such moments.

DeGlopper didn’t flinch.

He volunteered to cover the battalion's withdrawal. Alone, he charged atop the ridge, his M1 rifle blazing. Every round fired was a lifeline thrown to his comrades scrambling behind him. The German enemy zeroed in on the lone figure standing tall and defiant.

He kept firing until his final breath.

Hit multiple times, DeGlopper collapsed. He died on that ridge, his body shielding the escape of many American soldiers—his sacrifice tipping the scales between death and survival that day.

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Recognition Forged in Fire

Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on February 26, 1946, Charles N. DeGlopper’s citation is a testament to relentless valor:

“With magnificent courage and utter disregard for his safety, he alone stood on the exposed hillside and delivered a heavy volume of fire into the enemy. His heroic action and supreme self-sacrifice assisted the withdrawal of his unit and prevented the possible encirclement of the battalion.”

General Mark W. Clark himself praised that sacrifice, reminding soldiers what it means to stand firm:

“The soldier who dies defending his comrades is God’s own hero.”

DeGlopper’s story lives on—not just in medal and record—but in the hearts of those who understand that real courage is measured in seconds and in choices.

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Enduring Legacy: Blood, Faith, and Redemption

Charles N. DeGlopper didn’t just cover a retreat—he covered history with a bloodstained page that reminds us of what true sacrifice demands.

His life is a mirror reflecting an ancient truth:

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

For veterans, his example is a call to bear the scars and carry the weight—not as a burden, but as a badge of honor. To those who have never faced fire, his story is a brutal lesson: freedom demands a price, paid not by headlines, but by men who choose to stand when the tide threatens to sweep away all hope.

DeGlopper’s legacy is not a moment of silence. It is a shout into the chaos—a deliberate act of faith, courage, and loyalty.

He stood. He fired. He died so others could live.

And in that, he was victorious beyond the bullets.

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (A–F) 2. Mark Clark, Calculated Risk: The Official Account of the Allied Northern France Campaign, 1950 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charles N. DeGlopper Citation

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