Honoring the service of Marine Second Lieutenant David Lee Hopkins |
Remembering the Warrior Souls
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This photograph of Lt. Hopkins was taken from a website called viethero.us that just recently ceased to exist . Someone posted this last image of Dave just before he shipped out in 1968. We are looking for any other photos or even stories that fellow Marines or other veterans might want to share with us including pictures of Lt. Hopkins, his friends, Camp Carroll in Vietnam, the hospital ship the Repose, Ft. Sill, Avonworth H.S., Penn State, so that we might better tell his story. Click on his image to access the author's email |
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As an historical researcher I have found that the warrior soul does not change; remaining constant through the centuries. These brave men and women have stood firm against the enemy lifetime over lifetime, protecting our rights and defending our freedom.
From the annals of the ancient Picts in Scotland we learn of heroic men and their women fighting side by side; running through the hills naked, carrying a spear in one hand and a shield in the other; the sun glistening on their bodies painted in hues of blues and greens. They served as a family, supporting their neighbors as their own, defending their homeland.
Today only the names and faces have changed but the hearts and souls of these men and women in uniform who fight for our great country remain constant. ‘Soul of the Warriors’ is the true story of these heroes and the core values that guided them, told through the life of one specific Marine named David ‘Toby’ Hopkins and the lives he touched.
“This humble knight knows only to follow his truth;
God’s own truth within him held here in his heart.”
SIR WILLIAM LE HARDI DOUGLAS
1250-1298
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The Eagle, Globe and Anchor...the emblem of the Marine Corps...and a popular design for a tattoo...boys will be boys |
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Khe Sanh Exhibit at the Quantico museum; Marines were told to stuff socks in their mouths to withstand the sounds of the heavy artillery fire |
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The Marine Corps Heritage Museum is an amazing testimony to the great men and women who have served our nation...With interactive exhibits and realistic murals that recreate battle scenes from Vietnam...incredible and worth the visit...Semper Fi Marines |
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Semper Fidelis Park in Quantico has thousands of bricks lining the walkway...with dedications to those Marines who gave the ultimate sacrifice |
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Bricks line the pathways at Semper Fidelis Park... acknowledging the service of these gallant knights of modern times who never let us down...the United States Marines...click the image to be redirected to the USMC site to purchase your own brick for the hero in your life |
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This young Marine is wearing the first USMC uniform from 1775 on display at the opening day of the Marine Corps Heritage Museum in Quantico. The uniforms have changed some but the brave hearts of these Marines, the souls of these warriors remain constant...their weapons just as deadly |
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A scene recreated in the USMC Heritage Museum…Helicopters changed the way we fought our wars...in Vietnam the sound of an approaching chopper heralded the lifeline to our Marines...bringing food, clean socks and ammo; providing medevac service for the injured to nearby hospital ships in the China Sea |
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The solid foundation of a western Pennsylvania upbringing…click the photo above …journey back to the early 60’s and Avonworth H.S.
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Recreated Vietnam battle scenes at the Marine Corps Heritage Museum in Quantico are a big draw; Lt. Hopkins trained on the Big Guns at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma using one similar to the gun in this exhibit, appearing to be a 105mm Howitzer (Towed) |
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KILO BATTERY
4TH BATTALION-12TH MARINES
Lt. David Lee Hopkins was deployed to Vietnam in 1968, serving in Kilo 4-12 from July 12th until August 1st of that year. He was KIA when the jeep he was riding in was tossed; an NVA had detonated an explosive device on the two lane road north of Mai Loc. Hopkins was riding with Marines Doyle and Ogden on a payroll run that turned deadly; the quick actions of his fellow soldiers, performing CPR and applying bandages to his wounds, valiant attempts to save his life were to no avail as he passed later that night on the Repose hospital ship. God speed brave heart.
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Please click on the image above; the Vietnam Wall 'rubbing' of Lt. Hopkins' name... for further information and memorial tributes to the young Marine |
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A hero’s sacrifice remembered…click on the image above of Lt. Hopkins’ name to access the Memorial page
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To access our page for Camp Carroll please click on the image above of the NVA monument for that former artillery base in Quang Tri, South Vietnam |
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Visit Camp Carroll…click on the image above …turn the pages of the past…Vietnam 1968
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Godmother Kilo…Godmother Kilo…
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In SOUL OF THE WARRIORS we celebrate the oneness of these brave heroes century over century, where only the weaponry has changed; this canon was state of the art for field artillery in 1326, similar to the one Edward III used in 1328 against the Scots; defeating Scotland’s Regent Sir Archibald Douglas in 1333 at Halidon Hill while that same day destroying the Bondington nunnery for the perverse pleasure of target practice |
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A photo of the M-109A Self-Propelled 155 mm Howitzer from Doc Wean, one of the Corpsmen attached to Kilo Battery; the gun has a 9 mile performance range; one can only imagine what a medieval division commander like Sir James Douglas, Knight Bannerette at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 could have done with such fire power; medieval canons powered by gun powder could go off like a rocket; firing a small lead ball reaching speeds of 200 meters per second but were frequently unpredictable in the trajectory of the shot and only had a range performance of half a mile |
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The M109-A (SP) began to replace the 'Towed' Howitzer in 1967; a photo courtesy of Doc Wean taken in 1968 in Vietnam; the ammo was a little more sophisticated as was the path of the trajectory than in medieval times when gunpowder was devised of homemade recipes of three main ingredients: sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter; firing a lead ball as far as 945 meters according the Royal Armouries in Leeds, England |
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