In 1952 James Allison Hopper attained the rank of Eagle Scout. His award letter read: “People will expect more of you because of this accomplishment…You have chosen to live by the principles of Scouting and, no matter where you go or what you do, these precepts will help you to make the right decisions.” And they certainly did. He excelled in all things at Wichita East High, KS and made his first big life-changing decision, to seek an appointment to West Point. He joined us in Company A-2 in June 1956.
Jim was quite the swimmer in high school and continued to display his backstroke skills for the Army Swim Team, earning his Major “A” as a yearling. He took advantage of many extracurricular opportunities, including the Camera Club, Dialectic Society, and the Golf and Pistol clubs. He was very popular with his companymates, who said of him, “Jim was one of the good guys, always upbeat, a good listener and always willing to help,” and, “Jim was especially friendly and fun to be around.”
Jim decided to join the Artillery branch upon graduation. He completed Ranger and Airborne schools before attending the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK. He and other USMA 1960 officers were finishing up at Fort Sill and preparing to travel to their first artillery assignments when things changed radically. The entire class was called together and notified that anyone who wished to volunteer for assignment to Special Forces would be excused from their original initial duty assignment. Jim’s hand shot up immediately, seizing this opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this new type of warfare. Reporting to Fort Bragg, NC in May 1961, Jim and his fellow volunteers found a hostile welcome at the Special Warfare Center. It seemed that the Special Forces needed seasoned artillery captains, not, as they came to be called, “dumb-ass second lieutenants.” After completing rigorous training in the new skills needed for counterinsurgency warfare, Jim remained at Fort Bragg to complete the Special Warfare Officer Basic Course.
In late 1961 Jim was ordered to a Special Forces team, Operation White Star, in Laos, where the United States was training the Royal Laotian Army (as well as indigenous Hmong and Yao tribesmen) to fight the Pathet Lao communist insurgency. In early 1962 an international negotiation succeeded in creating a neutral Laos, and all U.S. forces were to withdraw to Fort Bragg. Jim earned the Combat Infantryman Badge for his performance in active combat.
Rather than leave Special Forces and return to Artillery, Jim and his team agreed to start a new Special Forces group in Panama. There, he had training in Spanish and stayed with them until late 1964. He remained a loyal supporter of the Special Forces throughout his life, joining the Special Forces Association.
Jim then decided to give up his “snake-eater” status, enrolling in the Washington University Law School. He graduated with a J.D. in 1967 and transferred to the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGC). He spent the next year with the Army Aviation Systems Command. In 1968-69 he completed the JAGC School’s advanced course and then spent three years with U.S. Army Headquarters in Japan. In 1972-73 he obtained a Master of Laws degree in Federal Contract Law. He finished his active-duty legal career with the Department of the Army Contract Appeals Division from 1973 to 1976. Jim distinguished himself as an Army lawyer, being awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster.
Seeking a wider set of experiences, Jim embarked on an international civilian legal career. He spent 1976-79 serving with the government of Iran’s Telecommunications Ministry. This assignment was cut short, courtesy of the Iranian revolution, with Jim making it out of the country on the next-to-last evacuation flight. In 1981 he moved to Saudi Arabia, working as a legal counsel for several firms until his retirement and return to the United States in 2000.
When he left active duty, he remained in the Army’s Individual Ready Reserve, with duty in Heidelberg, Germany. It was there, in 1986, he met his wife, Kim, who worked for an American university. They were married in Bethlehem, PA in 1987 and returned to Saudi Arabia, where Jim returned to his swimming roots, joining Kim to coach the swim team of an international school. They returned to Kim’s home state of Vermont in 2000, with Jim retiring as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. They spent their retirement years together in Vermont and North Carolina. We, his companymates, were pleased to see Jim at our 50th, as well as at several mini reunions. He remained loyal to his alma mater and served his country well.
Jim died in Vermont on September 10, 2012. He was remembered as “a caring, funny, reverent man, who, through all of his travels, cherished his family and loved spending time with friends. We all lost a brilliant, interesting and dedicated friend.”
Well Done, Jim; Be Thou at Peace.
— A-2 classmates and Jim’s family