Joe Hooper | Legend Series

Hooper single-handedly stormed three more enemy bunkers and destroyed them with hand grenades and rifle fire.

He shot two enemy soldiers who had attacked and injured a chaplain, then took the chaplain to safety.

During a sweep of the area, he destroyed three more buildings where enemy shooters had been hiding.

At one point, Hooper was attacked by a North Vietnamese officer.

Hooper was out of ammo as the enemy tried to escape. But Sgt. Hooper chased him down and stabbed him with his bayonet.”

From there, he destroyed another bunker and killed everyone inside who was firing on his fellow soldiers.

As his squad reached the final line of enemy resistance, they were raked by gunfire from four bunkers on their left flank. Hooper was able to run along the bunker line through a trench, tossing grenades into each of them. All but two enemy soldiers were killed. He took out two more bunkers after that.

Despite having no ammunition left for his rifle, Hooper raced across an open field to rescue a wounded man trapped in a trench. According to Thomas, “I called to him and tossed him a .45-caliber pistol, mentioning that he might need it. No sooner had he caught it and turned than he came face to face with an NVA raising a rifle to Sgt. Hooper’s head. Sgt. Hooper calmly shot the man dead with the pistol, then carried the wounded man back to safety.”

Hooper finished taking out the final pocket of enemy resistance by shooting three North Vietnamese officers.