The Terrible Story Of The Hero We Lost "Charles Neilans DeGlopper of Grand Island, New York" Honoring For His Heroic Actions.
The Terrible Story Of The Hero We Lost "Charles Neilans DeGlopper of Grand Island, New York" Honoring For His Heroic Actions.
Charles Neilans DeGlopper of Grand Island, New York, a Private First Class in the U.S. Army, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on June 9, 1944.
DeGlopper joined the Army in November 1942 and trained at Camp Croft, South Carolina, before being deployed overseas in April 1943, where he served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France.
On June 9th, 1944, 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.
Themselves under attack, C Company 1st Battalion was cut off from the rest of the battalion. Despite coming under increased fire, PFC DeGlopper stood up and began firing at the attacking Germans 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 actions on June 9, 1944, DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Related Topic
On August 31, 1943, the Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter was first used in combat, as groups of Hellcats took off from the aircraft carriers Yorktown, Independence, and Essex.
One historian would later opine that "The introduction of the Hellcat may have been the most important event of the Pacific war," while another would give the statistics supporting the opinion:
"Of the 6,477 Japanese aircraft U.S. Navy carrier pilots claimed to have destroyed in the air, the Hellcat was responsible for 4,947 — an incredible feat considering the Hellcat did not enter combat service until August 31, 1943."
PHOTO: Two U.S. Navy Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor camouflage, sea blue, intermediate blue, and insignia white.
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