There’s an old adage in the combat arms world: “You haven’t really had a full career unless you’ve picked up at least one Article 15.”
Well, Joe Ronnie Hooper had enough to fill a binder.
He also just happened to rack up 115 confirmed kills, eight Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars with “V” devices, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Medal of Honor. That’s not a typo—eight Purple Hearts. The man got shot, shrapneled, and blown up so many times it’s a miracle he had anything left to pin the awards on.
But the craziest part? Before he became the most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War, he was damn near booted out of the Army over his wild streak.
From Navy Sailor to Army Brawler
Born in 1938 in South Carolina and raised in Moses Lake, Washington, Hooper originally joined the Navy in 1956. He worked in aviation and made Petty Officer 3rd Class—equivalent to an E-4 corporal in the Army—before getting out in ’59. One year later, he enlisted again, but this time he wore green.
He joined the Army as a Private First Class, volunteered for Airborne School, and bounced around from Fort Bragg to Korea to Fort Hood. Eventually, he landed in the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell.
Now a Staff Sergeant, Hooper was itching to go to Vietnam. The Army, in its infinite wisdom, sent him to Panama instead. That’s where his love affair with Article 15s really bloomed. He was always in trouble—bars, brawls, disobeying orders, the usual suspects. They busted him down to corporal. But like most hard-charging NCOs, he clawed his way back up and eventually deployed to Vietnam in December of 1967 with the 101st as a squad leader.
One Man Wrecking Crew
What happened next reads like Rambo with a sense of duty.
On February 21, 1968, his unit launched an assault on a fortified enemy position. They were met with brutal machine gun fire, rockets, and everything else the NVA could throw at them. Hooper didn’t hesitate—he rallied some of his guys and crossed a river under fire, taking out bunkers as he went.
That wasn’t enough.
Wounded and bleeding, he refused medical treatment and kept pushing forward. He pulled wounded men out of the kill zone. He bayoneted an NVA officer. He smoked enemy bunkers with grenades and rifle fire. He killed two enemy soldiers attacking the chaplain. He wiped out an entire trench line by himself. And when a wounded buddy was pinned down, Hooper sprinted through fire, killed the enemy threatening the guy with a pistol, and hauled him to safety.
That’s all in one day. One day.
His Medal of Honor citation reads like an entire war movie condensed into a single operation. No embellishment necessary—witnesses and after-action reports confirmed every damn word.
Trouble Magnet in Uniform
Despite becoming a national hero, Hooper never really fit the mold. He got out of the infantry after his first Vietnam tour, re-enlisted in Public Affairs, then finagled his way back into the fight for a second tour—this time as a pathfinder with the 101st. By 1970, he’d earned a commission as a second lieutenant. But he didn’t last long—booted again, this time for lacking a college degree.
Still, the Army Reserve took him back. He served with the 12th Special Forces Group, made captain, but by 1978, he was out for good. His drill attendance was spotty, and the brass had had enough.
But let’s be real—Hooper wasn’t made for PowerPoint presentations and barracks inspections. He was built for the bush, the jungle, the fight.
A Hero Faded Too Soon
Hooper never got the glory he deserved. Maybe it’s because he didn’t fit the spit-shined hero mold. He drank hard, partied harder, and was known for butting heads with authority. He was vocal about how Vietnam vets were treated and hated how the country turned its back on its warriors.
He died in a Kentucky hotel room in 1979. A cerebral hemorrhage in his sleep. He was just 40.
To this day, most Americans have never heard of him. Meanwhile, the guy had more decorations than Alvin York and Audie Murphy—combined.
Hooper didn’t just wear the uniform. He bled for it. He broke it in, stomped through the mud in it, and never apologized for who he was.
He may have had one too many Article 15s—but you’d be hard pressed to find another soldier who earned the right to raise hell more than Joe Ronnie Hooper.
Captain Joe Ronnie Hooper was awarded more than 37 individual decorations during his military service, including 22 for valor, heroism, or wounds received in combat. His honors include the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars with “V” Devices for valor, eight Purple Hearts, the Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device. He also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, and Parachutist Badge, along with multiple foreign and unit citations such as the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. Hooper remains one of the most decorated combat soldiers in American military history.
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