Edward L. HooperVeteran

Stop just a moment to reflect on these brothers, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hooper of East Main Street, Westminster, who died a week apart in France – less than a month before Christmas 1944. Edward was 21; Robert was 18. The [Carroll County] Times had a large headline across the front page of its 22 December 1944, issue which read “Merry Christmas.” Under that was a small article entitled “County Casualties” and on another line “HOOPER BROTHERS ON CASUALTY LIST.” “Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hooper, Westminster, have received word through the War Department that their son Cpl. Edward L. Hooper, serving with the Third Army, has been wounded in France, November 25; and their son PFC Robert L.

Hooper is missing in France as of December 3.”

The boys were honored posthumously in a broadcast on Frederick radio station

WFMD in August 1945, and were included in a long list of men who had made the

ultimate sacrifice – “Gold Star Men of Carroll World War II.” The U.S. government

and newspapers undoubtedly did their best to remember these young men, but

Christmas was probably never the same again for the Hooper family. On 26 August 1948, the Times carried another article on the front page – “Bodies of Carroll Heroes Being Returned...Included among the large number of [World] War II dead returned on the United States Army Transport Victory, are four from Westminster: the two sons of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Hooper of 121 E. Main

Street…”

Hooper brothers on casualty list

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hooper, Westminster, have received word through the War Department that their son Cpl. Edward L. Hooper. serving with the Third Army, had been wounded in France, November

25; and their son Pfc. Robert L. Hooper, is missing in France as of December 3. Times 12/22/44

Two sons lost to Westminster family

Two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Hooper, 121 East Main Street, have paid the supreme sacrifice on the French battlefront, according to word received by them from the War Department. It was only within a few days that the family received the reports. The first telegram reported the death of Cpl. Edward Levine Hooper, aged 23, on November 29. His death resulted from wounds received on November 25. The second, reported that the younger of the two boys. Pfc. Robert Lee Hooper, age 18, had been killed in action, December 5. He had been previously reported missing as of December 3.

Edward entered the service on March 20, 1943, and received training with a tank destroyer unit at Camp

Hood, Texas. From Camp Hood he was transferred to Fort Meade, Md. in September 1944; and went overseas

the following month. He wore the Expert Infantryman's bar awarded him at Fort Meade. Cpl. Hooper attended Westminster High School and was a member of the First Church of God. Before entering service he was employed at the Sherwood distillery.

On March 20, 1944, Robert entered the service and was sent to Camp Walters, Texas, for his training. He

received his final training at Fort Bragg, N. C, and went overseas in September. He is a graduate of the

Westminster High School, class of 1942. was a member of the First Church of God, and before entering the Army, was employed by the Westminster Shoe Company.

Besides the parents, a sister, Mrs. Dorothy Floyd, Baltimore, and a brother Thomas C, at home, survive. Times 12/29/44

Hooper brother’s memorial service

Memorial services for Cpl. E. Levine Hooper, and Pfc. Robert L. Hooper, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas

Hooper, Westminster, who were killed in action in the ETO, will be held in the First Church of God on

Sunday morning (2/18/45) at 10:45 o'clock. Times 2/16/45