Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale
William J. Hopwood UNSR, WWII
NASFL Communications Officer
from 1942 to 1944
William J. Hopwood was born on November 22, 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graduated from Penn State University in 1940, in which year he joined the pre-war Naval Reserve at the Philadelphia Navy Yard (which no longer exists). In February of 1940 William was called to active duty as a radioman, but wanted to apply for Officer training and was able to transfer into flight-training. He was then called for what was then termed "elimination" flight screening at the Philadelphia Navy Yard airfield. He took 10 hours instruction and soloed in one of the old biplanes built at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia. Then he was sent to NAS Jacksonville, Florida for basic flight training in May 1940. William went through Ground School and 6 months of basic flight in the Stearman and Ryan aircraft at Jacksonville, but flunked out in early intermediate flight training in SNJ's. As he recalls: "I was never a hotshot pilot but I'm glad I got the flight experience I did. I had some good instructors, the last being a very tough U.S.Marine Corps officer, who by telling me to find something else to do, probably saved my life. With the flight experience I had gained, limited though it was, and with my communication background (I was a licensed Ham operator), I was commissioned as an Ensign and assigned to teach Communication basics to Aviation Cadets at the NAS Jax Ground School. Then when the Japanese caught us all by surprise at Pearl Harbor, I was transferred to NAS Jacksonville Communications Dept and its code room where I spent many hours coding and decoding operational message traffic."
In October of 1942, William J. Hopwood was sent to NAS Fort Lauderdale (which was then under construction), and was made the NAS Communications Officer. In 1944, he was transferred from NAS Fort Lauderdale to NAS San Juan Puerto Rico for a short time, and then sent to NAS Coco Solo, Canal Zone as their Communications Officer, with collateral duty as Comm. Officer for the Commander Panama Sea Frontier. He remained here until the war ended in August of 1945. After the war, William returned to live and work in Miami but stayed in the Active Naval Reserve and was re-called to active duty as a LT CDR during what was called "The Korean Emergency" and assigned as a Crypto Center Watch Officer CNO in Washington, DC. Then after a few months, was assigned to duty as one of the Navy Department Communications Watch Officers, at the Office of Chief of Naval Operations in Washington DC from 1950-1952. When he was released to inactive duty in 1952, he remained in the active Reserve until his retirement as Commander, when he reached age 60 in 1978. He has remained in the Retired Reserve since that time.
Commander Hopwood has been a source of great information as he brings to mind his memories of the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale base:
- "The first C.O. was, Commander (later Captain) Donald E. Wilcox who was transferred out around late 1943. At the time I arrived in October of 1942, the Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ) were not ready and they put us up in a small Hotel on Andrews Ave. which was owned by a man and wife who were Free French refugees. We used to sit around the lobby at night and listen to the Free French short wave broadcasts from Radio Brazzavile in French Equatorial Africa.
- Commander Wilcox was relieved as C.O by Captain Pratt. Commander Joe Taylor was, I believe, the first Operations Officer and he was in charge of flight training. Lt. Marshall Myler started the first station newspaper, The Avenger, and after the war I knew him in Miami where he ran an advertising/public relations business. Joe Stiret was Personnel Officer. Major Prine (USMC) was in charge of the Marine Detachment. Lt Burton Wheeler (I forget his title) ran the Payroll department. More of the names come back to me when I think hard enough. Those were busy days.
- The student aviators came and went, so I didn't know many of them but I got to know a number of the flight instructors, some of whom had just come from the early days of the Pacific war and had had first-hand combat experience. CDR Joe Taylor was one who later went back to the Pacific and was, I believe, one of those who was on the carrier Franklin when she was set on fire and badly damaged by the Japanese late in the war. I think I was still there when former President George H.W. Bush went through training and I may have seen or met him but he was just another student then and nobody would have dreamed they were talking with someone who would later be President of the U.S."
Sitting, front row:
2nd from left, Lt. John Rogers, aide to C.O.
3rd from left, Capt. J.L. Pratt, C.O.
6th from left, Dolores Frame, Clerical dept.
Kneeling, second row:
Far right, Mary Bond, clerical and teletype operator, Communications Dept.
Standing, 3rd row:
2nd from left, Joe Steiert, Personnel Officer
3rd from left, Lt. Stoddard (with black tie).
Standing, 4th row:
With head framed in middle doorway, Lt(jg) Edward Talbott, Communications.
Tall man with head touching hanging decoration, Lt. CDR Mac Tharp, Executive Ofcr.
Next to Lt. CDR Tharp (cheek to cheek) Ens. Knolyn Hatch and Lt. William Hopwood, Communications.
2nd from left, Lt. John Rogers, aide to C.O.
3rd from left, Capt. J.L. Pratt, C.O.
6th from left, Dolores Frame, Clerical dept.
Kneeling, second row:
Far right, Mary Bond, clerical and teletype operator, Communications Dept.
Standing, 3rd row:
2nd from left, Joe Steiert, Personnel Officer
3rd from left, Lt. Stoddard (with black tie).
Standing, 4th row:
With head framed in middle doorway, Lt(jg) Edward Talbott, Communications.
Tall man with head touching hanging decoration, Lt. CDR Mac Tharp, Executive Ofcr.
Next to Lt. CDR Tharp (cheek to cheek) Ens. Knolyn Hatch and Lt. William Hopwood, Communications.
Museum's Books | Memberships | Newsletter | NASFL History | Flight 19 | Memorial | Volunteer | Media Kit
Copyright © NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum
For use of images or text please contact webmaster Website created by Moonrisings, August 3, 2010 |