Richard Lee Hopper
9/2/2020
At first look at Richard Hopper's "Soldier" page, one would probably find it strange
seeing Richard in an army uniform and LST Boats in the background. It is different,
but Richard had a different type of Army life. Guess all veterans have a different
military career than what most people conceive. Anyway, keep in mind that Richard
was in the army and was associated with boats and I will try to explain.
Richard Lee Hopper was born and raised in the Rockport community and started school
at Rockport. His homeplace is just a little west of Western Elementary School where
Richard grew up with a household full of siblings. He attended the school at Rockport
until his senior year of high school and in the 1957 school year Ohio County started
a consolidation program where the Rockport kids were bussed to either Centertown High
School or Beaver Dam High School. Not the best of options for the kids that grew up
going to Rockport High School, but there was a third option. Richard decided to join
the Army and he received his GED while in service.
In 1957 Richard volunteered for a three year hitch in the army and was to be trained
as a diesel mechanic. He was sent to Fort Knox for the first part of his basic training
and then to Fort Eustice in Newport News, Virginia to complete basic training and to
be trained as a diesel mechanic. Richard completed his basic training and his diesel
mechanic training and was about to be sent to another location to start his diesel
mechanic trade. Instead, he either volunteered or was selected to transfer to Fort
Story at Virginia Beach, Virginia. This outfit delivered supplies to Air Force sites
in Greenland and Iceland. Richard became a boat operator. Not just any "Boat Operator",
but a LST boat operator. If you have ever seen any World War II movies, those boats
that transported our fighting forces from a ship to the shore were LSTs. Remember
how a squadron of soldiers were packed into these open bay boats and the front ramp
came down for the soldiers to exit. That was a LST or "Landing Ship Tank". Richard's
squadron consisted of four LST's and these boats would be loaded with supplies at the
dock at Fort Story and then piloted to a LSD or a "Landing Ship Dock" that would be
positioned in the deeper water offshore. This LSD would be partially submerged, enough
where each of these loaded LST's could just drive up in the enormous bay. Once this
squadron of four LST's were inside the LSD and secured, the LSD would be drained and
refloated. Now, it was ready to transport the four LST's that were loaded with supplies
to Air Force Bases in Greenland and Iceland. This trip, up the Eastern Seaboard, may
take a week or more and once there, the loaded LST's would offload the supplies in a
similar manner as when they were loaded. In most cases, more than one Air Force Base
received supplies. The empty LSTs would re-enter the LSD and be secured for a trip
back to Fort Story. Richard would continue this routine for three years.
After reenlistment, Richard officially trained as a "Boat Operator" and received the
title of Coxswain. He was then sent to La Rochelle, France with his permanent station
being Port Engineer. A different boat this time and a different duty. His squadron
now maintained the buoys and other warning devices for a large area around Port Engineer.
Time for another move and Richard was sent to Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans. After
a few months and at the onset of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Richard's outfit piloted
their boats to a small island in the Atlantic Ocean just off the city of St. Petersburg,
Florida. They set up a temporary "Tent City" and maintained the unnamed base until the
threat of the missiles in Cuba abated. Then, it was back to Camp Leroy Johnson. Richard
was set up and primed for a military career and with less than a year to go was sent to
Vietnam. After his tour of duty in Vietnam, Richard asked and was granted an honorable
discharge. He was discharged in August of 1965 for a total service time of 8 years
and seven months. Thanks Richard, for you service to our country.
While stationed at Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans, Richard met, courted, and married
Jane Schaefer. The marriage produced two daughters. After being discharged from the
army, Richard, Jane, and family moved back to Ohio County, Kentucky. Today, Richard
and Jane are happily living in their retirement home on Midway Road in Ohio County.
Thanks Richard for your many years of service to our great country. You were there
when needed and served honorably. A big thanks.
see you.....
jerry
God Bless America!
|
