BUFFALO, N.Y. — The National Medal of Honor Society marked the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion by conducting a bell tolling initiative, to honor the 13 men who were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the Normandy Campaign.
The effort involved ceremonies in the hometowns of each recipient.
Of the 13 Medal of Honor recipients from the Normandy Campaign, four of them hailed from New York State, with two of those being from Western New York.
John Butts, a native of Medina in Orleans County, received his honor posthumously. He was recognized for bravery.
A 2nd Lieutenant, Butts joined the military at age 17 and had already served in Africa and Sicily prior to the D-Day invasion.
As troops moved into France following the invasion of June 6, he was wounded on June 14, and again on the 16.
Refusing medical aid, one week later on June 23, 1944 he lead an attack on a stubbornly defended hill.
Shot once again, he then directed others to flank a pillbox ---while he alone made a frontal assault, drawing the fire to himself.
Butts got within 10 yards of the enemy before he was finally, and fatally cut down, but it allowed his comrades to take their objective.
It was less than a month before his 22nd birthday
First buried in France, his remains were later re-interred in St. Mary's Cemetery in Medina.
The better-known story is that of Charles DeGlopper, and bells tolled at two Grand Island churches in his honor.
At one of those places, Trinity Church, the bell tower wasn’t functioning, so a group of worshipers improvised by ringing handbells.
“We were going to make sure that we honored those who were fallen,” said Alice Mock, the church secretary. “It’s important to America to always acknowledge all of those in our armed forces."
As a Private First Class, DeGlopper was part of a battalion which had been cut off from their comrades while trying to secure a bridge.
As they were pinned down, DeGlopper stood and began to fire in full view of the German defenders.
Hit several times, and bleeding profusely, he continued to fire his Browning automatic from his knees --and with the full attention of the enemy on him, it allowed the rest of his company to escape while he sacrificed his life at age 22.
For his self-sacrificial actions, DeGlopper posthumously received the Medal of Honor, and is the only member of the 82nd Airborne Division to be so honored in Normandy.