James I. Hopkins Jr.
James I. Hopkins Jr. | |
|---|---|
Hopkins in 1940 | |
| Born | December 4, 1918 Palestine, Texas, U.S. |
| Disappeared | March 23, 1951 (aged 32) Atlantic Ocean |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1941–1951 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 509th Composite Group 2nd Strategic Support Squadron |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Relations | Catherine Mary Williamson (spouse) James K. Hopkins (son) |
James Iredell Hopkins Jr. (December 4, 1918 – lost at sea March 23, 1951) was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and the operations officer of the 509th Composite Group during World War II. He is best known for signing Operations Order No. 35, the document authorizing the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and for piloting the photography aircraft Big Stink during the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
Hopkins disappeared on March 23, 1951, when the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II he was traveling in vanished over the Atlantic Ocean following a fire and successful ditching.