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| Information > Biographies > BRIGADIER GENERAL JOSEPH G. HOPKINS |
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BRIGADIER GENERAL JOSEPH G. HOPKINS
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Died March 1, 1978.
Joseph Gerard Hopkins was born in New York, N.Y. in 1900. He enlisted in the New York National Guard on June 28, 1916 and served until March 20, 1917, four months later he enlisted in the Army as a corporal and was assigned to the 106th Machine Gun Battalion until discharged on April 2, 1919. Entering Columbia University in l920, General Hopkins studied there for three years.
Appointed a flying cadet in March 1925, General Hopkins entered primary and advanced flying schools, graduated one year later and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Reserve, receiving his regular commission as a second lieutenant of Air Corps on June 30, 1927.
First assigned with the 94th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Mich., in June 1928, General Hopkins joined the 95th Pursuit Squadron at Rockwell Field, Calif., and in November 1930 was transferred to the 77th Pursuit Squadron at Mather Field, Calif. In January 1933 he was assigned to the 20th Pursuit Group at Barksdale Field, La., and in July 1934 was appointed adjutant of Barksdale Field.
Graduating in June 1937 from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala., General Hopkins then entered the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., graduated a year later and was named secretary of the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas.
Going to Washington, D.C. in June 1940, General Hopkins was assigned duty in the training section, Office of the Chief of Air Corps, where in January 1942 he became chief of the training literature section in that office.
The following June General Hopkins was appointed assistant chief of staff for personnel of the First Concentration Command at Cincinnati, Ohio and in November 1942 became chief of the Organizations Branch in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Plans at Army Air Force Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Entering the Army and Navy Staff College at Washington, D.C. in October 1943, he graduated in February 1944 and went overseas to become assistant chief of staff for operations of the 10th Air Force in India. Appointed chief of staff of the Army Air Force Training Command in the China-Burma-India Theater in October 1944, two months later General Hopkins was assigned to the Joint Planning Staff of the Southeast Asia Command at Ceylon.
Returning to the United States in July 1945, that September he was assigned to the Fourth Air Force headquarters at San Francisco, Calif. In March 1946 General Hopkins became a member of the Regular Army Board at Fort MacArthur, Calif. He was named deputy commander of McChord Field, Wash., the following month, and in June 1946 was appointed assistant chief of staff for personnel of the l2th Air Force at March Field, Calif.
Becoming deputy commander of the Bermuda Base Command at Kindley Field, Bermuda in May 1947, a year later General Hopkins was appointed commander of the South Sector of the Atlantic Division of Air Transport Command, with station at San Antonio, Texas and in July 1948 was designated comptroller of the Continental Division of Military Air Transport Service at Kelly Field, Texas. He became deputy commander and executive officer of the 1501st Air Transport Wing at Fairfield Suisun Air Force Base, Calif., in October 1948.
Going to Hawaii in July 1949, General Hopkins was named commander of the 1500th Maintenance & Supply Group and a year later assumed the duties of deputy chief of staff for transport operations of the Pacific Division of Military Transport Service at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. In this capacity he was in charge of the Korean airlift.
Transferring to the Atlantic Division of the Military Air Transport Service, Westover Air Force Base, Mass., General Hopkins served as deputy commander from September 1951 to May 1953; assumed command until September 1953; served as deputy commander until February 1954; assumed command until April 1954, and then reverted to deputy commander, moving with the division to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. on May 31, 1955.
His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Brazilian Military Order of the Southern Cross. He is rated a command pilot, combat observer, technical observer and aircraft observer.
(Up to date as of June 1956)
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