Lawrence Richard Hopwood was born in Crawford, Missouri in 1921, the son of Frank and Bertha Hopwood. He enlisted at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri on June 30, 1942. His enlistment record notes he had completed grammar school, and was single with no dependents. It also states his civilian occupation was within the lumberman, raftsman, and woodchoppers occupational group.

He was trained as an aerial gunner and assigned to a B-17 crew. He was assigned to the 563rd Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group, located at Knettishall, England. The crew flew three mission before July 26, 1943, when they were tasked to be a part of a raid on the Hannover, Germany war facilities.

After the bomb run, the B-17s successfully made the turn off target, and began the return route home. Then the formation was attacked by a large number of enemy aircraft. Lt. Bobbitt's crew of which Hopwood was a member was shot down and crashed near Holtlsland, Germany. Four of the crew were captured; the remaining six were killed in the crash. German records state the B-17 was shot down by Oberleutnan Karl Becker in a FW-190 from JG 1/3.

SSgt Hopwood was eventually buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, airforce.togetherweserved.com