Joe Ronnie Hooper (1938 - 1979)

Born 8 Aug 1938 in Piedmont, South Carolina, USA

Ancestors

Died 6 May 1979 at age 40 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Donnie Blackstone [send private message]

Joe Hooper was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Joe Hooper was awarded the Purple Heart.

Joe Hooper is Notable.

Biography

Company D, 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, known informally as Delta's Raiders.

CAPT. Joe Ronnie Hooper Vietnam War Veteran Awarded by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress.

Awards

• Medal Of Honor
• 8 Purple Hearts
• 2 Silver Stars
• 6 Bronze Stars
• U.S. Military Medal with Palm and Frame
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Campaign Star
• Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and Frame
• Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation with Palms and Frames
• Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation with 1960-device
• Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal
• Combat Infantry man Badge
• Master Parachutes Badge

" Joe Ronnie Hooper and cousin Donnie Joe Blackstone were both born in Grove Station Community Piedmont, S.C,. Donnie Joe Blackstone is my dad. The two of them were close in age and as I grew up my dad didn't talk much of family. But as I grew more interested in The Ancestry and finding out how strong of a Military family I have, it sure is amazing to find out Absolam Hooper Revolutionary War Soldier 5th Great Grandfather, Captain Andrew Deaver Dillard Hooper CSA 3rd Great Grandfather, and Captain Joe Ronnie Hooper " Donnie Blackstone (Blackstone-170)

He was the most highly decorated soldier of the Vietnam War. During two combat tours, he earned 37 medals, including the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts. The Army credited him with killing 115 North Vietnamese.

Sgt. George Parker witnessed the almost seven-hour battle during the Tet offensive Feb. 21, 1968, near the ancient city of Hue, South Vietnam, action that earned Hooper the Medal of Honor. His account is several pages long. This is an excerpt:

"Sgt. Hooper in one day accomplished more than I previously believed could have been done in a month by one man. And he did it all while wounded," Parker said. "It wasn't just the actual count of positions overrun and enemy killed which was important. But far more so was the fantastic inspiration he gave every man in the company."

Hooper, 29 at the time, suffered seven wounds that day but wouldn't leave the battlefield until the next morning. He finally passed out from loss of blood. He regained consciousness in a field hospital.

The next day, worried about his men, he stole a rifle and hitched a ride back to his outfit, still wearing the top half of his hospital gown. Technically, he was AWOL. By the time the Army found him two days later, he had been wounded again.^[1]

Joe's heroics drew comparison to Audie Murphy, hero of WWII. He was known as the Vietnam Wa's Audie Murphy. However, if he had any feeling of invincibility, the thought evaporated May 28, 1971, when actor Audie Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient and the most highly decorated soldier of World War II, died in a plane crash in Virginia. Hooper was a pallbearer.

He married Faye_____ 13 June 1971 in California.

Joe Hooper died unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1979.

Burial

• Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA. Plot: Section 46, Lot 656-17.

Sources

1. ↑ Widow's recollections

• Forgotten soldiers

• Images, tribute to Capt Joe Ronnie Hooper

• Find A Grave: Memorial #7836840
• wikipedia.org Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hooper_(Medal_of_Honor)

• GenealogyBank: Date: Thursday, November 25, 1971 Paper: Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, Washington) Page: 42

• Congressional Medal Of Honor Society. Link: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3303/hooper-joe-r.php

• Military Times

Notes

• A Special Thanks to John P Vickery IV for adding sources & images, editing this page.