Charles N . DeGlopper Charles Neilans DeGlopper ( November 30 , 1921 – June 9 , 1944 ) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor , the highest award of the U . S . military , for his heroic actions and sacrifice of life during the World War II Battle of Normandy . A Grand Island , New York native , DeGlopper was the only soldier from the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment to receive the Medal of Honor . He was also the only World War II soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army to receive the award for action during the Battle of Normandy campaign . 82nd Airborne Division service . Charles N . DeGlopper entered the United States Army in November 1942 . He trained at Camp Croft , South Carolina . He was deployed overseas in April 1943 , where he served in North Africa , Sicily , Italy and France . He was ultimately killed in action on June 9 , 1944 in La Fière , Manche , Normandy , France . Medal of Honor action . In the late evening of June 6 , 1944 , the 82nd Airborne ’ s glider troops began to arrive in France staged from Aldermaston airfield , each involving hundreds of CG - 4 Waco and Airspeed Horsa gliders and managed in code - named phases denoted : Mission Keokuk , Mission Elmira , and the final two glider landings were scheduled for June 7 , 1944 during the morning hours in Missions Galveston and Hackensack which brought in the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment ( 325th GIR ) . Mission Galveston arrived in two serials of fifty gliders each and while the first had something of a disastrous landing , the second fared slightly better , but less than 50 % of their equipment was recoverable . Mission Hackensack , the last to arrive , brought in the remaining 1 , 300 glidermen of the 325th GIR and their equipment . Also arriving in two serials , the gliders began landing on the 7th at 0900 in broad daylight . Despite the apparent destruction on the ground , the operation was a great success with most of the troops and nearly all of their equipment getting delivered to the battlefield . Nearly 90 % of the 325th GIR ’ s men were assembled within a few hours of landing and moved towards Chef du Pont , France . Leading his troops , regimental commander Colonel Harry Lewis was ordered to make a crossing of the le Merderet River and help attack the La Fière Bridge from the opposite side . Seeing a small fording area across the river , Col . Lewis sent his 1st Battalion to wade across under cover of darkness ; their objective was to attack the force defending the bridge . Themselves under attack , C Company 1st Battalion was cut off from the rest of the battalion and despite himself coming under increased fire , Private First Class Charles DeGlopper stood up and began to fire his Browning Automatic Rifle at the attacking Germans in an attempt to suppress their fire and relieve the battalion . Although wounded , PFC DeGlopper continued to stand and fire , and when hit yet again , still fired although kneeling and bleeding profusely . Meanwhile , as the Germans were distracted and occupied with PFC DeGlopper ' s automatic fire , the remainder of C Company was able to break off and head for La Fière to join the rest of their battalion . For his self - sacrificial actions , Private First Class Charles DeGlopper posthumously received the Medal of Honor on February 28 , 1946 , the only member of the 82nd Airborne Division so honored in Normandy . Awards and decorations . In addition to the Medal of Honor , Private DeGlopper was awarded the Bronze Star for " meritorious achievements in ground operations against the enemy " during the Sicily Campaign . He was also awarded the Purple Heart for " military merit and wounds received in action resulting in his death . " Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States , in the name of The Congress , takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Charles N . DeGlopper Private United States Army for service as set forth in the following CITATION : Rank and organization : Private First Class , U . S . Army , Co . C , 325th Glider Infantry , 82d Airborne Division . Place and date : Merderet River at la Fiere , France , June 9 , 1944 . Entered service at : Grand Island , N . Y . Birth : Grand Island , N . Y . G . O . No . : 22 , February 28 , 1946 . Charles N . DeGlopper Remembrance Day . On June 9 , 2002 , on the island community of Grand Island , New York , the Charles DeGlopper VFW ( Veterans of Foreign Wars ) Post # 9249 dedicated a new headstone on the grave of the island ' s native son , Charles N . DeGlopper , C Company , 325th Glider Infantry . The new marker recognizes the fact that Charles DeGlopper was awarded the Medal of Honor after his death during the Normandy invasion . Cultural references . The novel " March Upcountry " contains a fictional space ship , the " Charles DeGlopper " , in honor of Charles N . DeGlopper . The physical training field between the barracks of 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment ( the modern - day descendant of the Glider Infantry Regiment ) is named DeGlopper Field