The most decorated American soldier

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Niner
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The most decorated American soldier

Post by Niner » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:56 pm

I went looking for something else and found this page. This guy is possibly the most decorated American fighting man in the history of the US military. I never heard of him before. And he earned his medals in the Vietnam war.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jrhooper.htm
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Re: The most decorated American soldier

Post by Niner » Mon Feb 08, 2010 10:53 am

Hooper's memory isn't completely lost. Funny thing is he will be memorialized in a monument associated with the 9th Division and the Navy Riverine Force. And on top of that, one of the organizers has about got a stamp approved in his honor with the Post Office.

On September 29, 2009, I was notified that my request to the United States Postal Service, Citizen Advisory Stamp Committee was accepted for a Commemorative Stamp in Honor of Joe R. Hooper(spelling corrected from link) The Committee is responsible for reviewing Stamp proposals and making subject and design recommendations to the Postmaster General. There is one more important step in this process, If. . . all goes well, we could see and have this Commemorative Stamp in 2012.
http://www.9thidmemorialvn.org/projects.html
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Re: The most decorated American soldier

Post by Karl/Pa. » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:02 pm

I believe Audie Murphy still holds the most decorated position.
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Re: The most decorated American soldier

Post by Niner » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:37 pm

For WWII that's true Karl. Read the first link to understand what I mean by "most decorated". However, I have learned that that old blowhard Col. David Hackworth, probably promoted more medals for himself over a long time period from WWII, Korea and Vietnam, as well as collecting many he probably deserved....but Hackworth couldn't promote the MOH among them.
Let's take a little test, shall we? Do you know who Audie Murphy is? Sure you do. Most decorated soldier in World War II. Same with Sergeant York, his WWI counterpart, Norman Schwarzkopf, and where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is.

Now let me ask you this. Do you know who Joe Hooper is?

Probably not. After all, he does not have a book about him and a movie about him like Murphy does, or appear on Stephen King's novel "The Green Mile," like York does.

Hooper does have more medals than both of them, though. In fact, no man in the history of American international combat is reputed to have received more decorations than one Staff Sergeant Joe R. Hooper.

Let me rephrase that. No man in the history of American international combat is reputed to have received more decorations than one Staff Sergeant Joe R. Hooper, from Moses Lake, Washington.
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