After graduation from Winchester High School in Monroe, North Carolina, PFC John Edward Hopkins had to decide on the direction of his future- college or the military. Since he was from a large family of nine children, money for college was very doubtful, so he chose to go into the military. He wanted to get his college degree either while in the military or when he got out with the G.I. Bill.
John was born on December 16, 1943 and he was raised in the family home at 124 East Avenue in Monroe. His brothers and sisters were Ernest Lomax of Washington, D.C.; Shelton Hopkins of Winston Salem, NC; Willie Marie Hopkins of Washington, D.C.; Jacob Hopkins of Rural Hall, NC; Otis Hopkins of El Paso, Texas; Marian Hopkins Tucker of Fort Pearce, Florida; and Brenda Hopkins of Monroe. Brenda currently lives in the family home in Monroe.
PFC Hopkins did not join the military right out of high school and instead worked for two years at Union Memorial Hospital in Monroe.
He was never married however he did have a serious girlfriend at the time he volunteered to enlist in the Army, Ruby Anderson of Washington, D.C. Ruby and John had one child, a daughter Ylice Anderson, who lives in Washington, D.C.
John went through basic training at Ft Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina and he completed his advanced training as a combat medic at Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He was immediately sent to Vietnam when he finished his training in 1966.
John went through basic training at Ft Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina and he completed his advanced training as a combat medic at Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He was immediately sent to Vietnam when he finished his training in 1966.
The family was told that John died from multiple fragmentation wounds from a claymore mine in a firefight. John was on a rescue mission for soldiers who had been seriously wounded in a battle with the Viet Cong near Da Nang. While attempting the rescue, the exploding mine fragments pierced John's body and he was killed on July 2, 1966. He was 22 when he was killed.