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SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
Hopkins, James Richard, Col USAF(Ret).
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The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Lieutenant Colonel James Richard Hopkins (AFSN: 0-37029A), United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force while serving as Commanding Officer, 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, in action in Southeast Asia on 29 June 1966. On that date, Colonel Hopkins was Mission Commander of a large strike force of F-105 Thunderchiefs tasked with destroying a large petroleum, oil, and lubricant storage area at Hanoi, North Vietnam. Despite adverse weather and the most intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire ever encountered over North Vietnam, including deadly surface-to-air missiles, he led his force in totally destroying this vital military target. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Lieutenant Colonel Hopkins reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Description Taking the offensive on January 25, 1951, the UN Command began military operations directed toward wearing down the enemy rather than capturing territory. For 2 weeks UN forces, with close air support provided by Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers, advanced slowly northward against inconsistent but often stubborn resistance. On February 10 the troops captured Kimpo Air Base near Seoul. When thawing roads made ground transport virtually impossible, Brig. Gen. John P. Henebry's 315th Air Division airdropped supplies to the ground forces. For example, between February 23 and 28 the 314th Troop Carrier Group, flying C-l 19s, dropped 1,358 tons of supplies to troops north of Wonju, a town 50 miles southeast of Seoul.
UN forces reoccupied Seoul on March 14. A few days later, on March 23, the Far East Air Forces airdropped a reinforced regiment at Munsan, 25 miles north of Seoul. In preparation, fighter-bombers and medium bombers, under direction of airborne tactical controllers, bombed enemy, troops and positions near the drop zones. The C-l19s continued the airdrop of supplies until March 27, as the paratroopers advanced from Munsan to Yonchon, 35 miles north of Seoul. By this time, Communist forces had established such a strong air presence between the Chongchon and Yalu Rivers in northwestern Korea that Fifth Air Force pilots began to refer to this region as "MiG Alley." The Fifth, unable to challenge the enemy's temporary air superiority in northwestern Korea from bases in Japan, returned its tactical fighter units to Korean airfields recently wrested from Communist control.
By March 10, F-86 Sabrejets were once again battling Chinese and North Korean pilots in MiG Alley while flying cover for FEAF Bomber Command's B-29s against targets in the area. Through the rest of March and April, FEAF bombed bridges over the Yalu River and other targets under the protection of escorting jet fighters. In spite of the escorts, MiG pilots on April 12 destroyed 3 of 38 B-29s attacking bridges at Sinuiju, causing the FEAF Bomber Command to put Sinuiju temporarily off-limits to B-29s. On tbe eastern side of the peninsula, the Bomber Command carried on an interdiction campaign against railroads, tunnels, and bridges.
U.S. naval aviators also were conducting missions against targets in the northeastern section of Korea between Wonsan and the Siberian border. From April 12 to 23 the FEAF Bomber Command attacked rebuilt airfields on the outskirts of Pyongyang, at Sariwon, 40 miles south of Pyongyang, and at Hamhung, on the east coast 110 miles northeast of Pyongyang. On the ground, the Eighth Army pushed north of Seoul to reach the 38th parallel on March 31.
Soon after, on April 11, President Harry S. Truman removed the UN Commander, General Douglas MacArthur, because of his outspoken criticism of the President's prosecution of the war. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway replaced General MacArthur, and Lt. Gen. James A. Van Fleet inherited the Eighth Army command. With close air support from the Fifth Air Force, UN ground forces pushed north beyond the 38th parallel between April 17 and 21, until halted by a North Korean and Chinese counterattack.
