Rees Webber Hopkin was born on June 12, 1921, in Ellwood City, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Rees Hopkin and Guyla Hopkin. He was married to Joyce Joett Grant Hopkin. He served in the 837th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner in B-17G #44-8276 during World War II.

On March 18, 1945, on their twenty-fourth mission, B-17G #44-8276 participated in a mission to bomb railroad marshalling yards in Berlin, Germany, but was severely damaged by German anti-aircraft fire just before the bomb run, forcing it to abandon the mission. As the aircraft became uncontrollable, the pilot attempted to reach a safer landing area; however, the crew was compelled to bail out about ten miles east of the Oder River near Massin, Germany (now Mosina, Poland). During the descent, Technical Sergeants Sunberg and Leonard A. Marino were killed when Russian Yak fighters strafed the parachuting airmen, while the remaining crew members landed safely.

SSgt Hopkin successfully bailed out and survived, later being recovered and briefly detained by Soviet forces before returning to Allied control. He died on March 12, 2002, and is now buried in the English Lutheran Church Cemetery, Zelienople, Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR)