Soldier's mysterious death a burden for Pittsburg family
By Paul Burgarino
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 09/17/2009 02:36:22 PM PDT
Updated: 09/17/2009 05:11:43 PM PDT
When Stanley Hopkins and ex-wife Janet Hopkins suffered through serious illnesses, their son was always at their side.
Now, the parents are trying to do the same for him as they lay their deceased "best friend" to rest.
Cpl. Jeramy Hopkins, who served in Iraq with the Army National Guard intermittently for 10 months before getting injured, died in his sleep during a camping trip to Mendocino with his mother over Labor Day weekend. He was 23. The family is awaiting results of a coroner's autopsy on the cause of death.
"At this point, we don't want to think about it," Stanley Hopkins said. "He was my only child. My absolute best friend. Not only did I lose a son, I lost my best friend."
During a visitation at Holy Angels mortuary in Antioch on Wednesday, close friends told stories of Jeramy's love of four-wheeling, dressing up like G.I. Joe as a child, and ability to get into and out of trouble. His funeral was held Thursday at Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood.
The parents are struggling pay funeral costs, and local veterans are trying to help. The family owes the funeral home in Mendocino $700 for transporting Jeramy to the Bay Area, and another $12,900 for funeral home and burial services, according to Ethel Gilmore, a volunteer with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Livermore and Palo Alto who has been trying to garner support for the Hopkins family.
As of Thursday, about $5,000 had been collected from groups like Operation MOM, individual veterans and the P-Town Pushrods hot rod club in Pleasanton, Gilmore said.
Jeramy grew up in Dublin and Pleasanton, earned his General Educational Development credential, and fulfilled a childhood ambition of joining the Army at age 18. He served in the Army's 10th Mountain Division for three years, then the stint in the National Guard.
He returned home for a spell while serving in Iraq to help his mother after she had knee surgery. Jeramy was "my rock," Janet said.
Janet Hopkins is on disability for lupus and a couple of other ailments. Her son drove her to appointments and helped with daily functions, she said.
"He told me, 'Mom, you can't go through all this by yourself,'"‰" she said. "It's going to be tough for me. I can't believe it happened."
Jeramy insisted his father come back to California from South Carolina because of the health problems and the fact that he was about to lose his house and car, Stanley said.
"He drove like 31/2 days straight in the U-Haul. That was his top priority," Stanley said, recalling the help Jeramy provided.
Stanley had another heart problem when coming to Pittsburg, and Jeramy insisted he go to the hospital.
"I wouldn't have gone if he wouldn't have made me go. He probably saved my life," Stanley said.
HOW TO HELP
A memorial trust fund has been set up for Jeramy Hopkins at ECC Bank of Agriculture, 1411 A St., Antioch, CA 94509. Donations can be made payable to: S.J. Hopkins Memorial Trust Fund.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_13359758?source=rss
By Paul Burgarino
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 09/17/2009 02:36:22 PM PDT
Updated: 09/17/2009 05:11:43 PM PDT
When Stanley Hopkins and ex-wife Janet Hopkins suffered through serious illnesses, their son was always at their side.
Now, the parents are trying to do the same for him as they lay their deceased "best friend" to rest.
Cpl. Jeramy Hopkins, who served in Iraq with the Army National Guard intermittently for 10 months before getting injured, died in his sleep during a camping trip to Mendocino with his mother over Labor Day weekend. He was 23. The family is awaiting results of a coroner's autopsy on the cause of death.
"At this point, we don't want to think about it," Stanley Hopkins said. "He was my only child. My absolute best friend. Not only did I lose a son, I lost my best friend."
During a visitation at Holy Angels mortuary in Antioch on Wednesday, close friends told stories of Jeramy's love of four-wheeling, dressing up like G.I. Joe as a child, and ability to get into and out of trouble. His funeral was held Thursday at Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood.
The parents are struggling pay funeral costs, and local veterans are trying to help. The family owes the funeral home in Mendocino $700 for transporting Jeramy to the Bay Area, and another $12,900 for funeral home and burial services, according to Ethel Gilmore, a volunteer with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Livermore and Palo Alto who has been trying to garner support for the Hopkins family.
As of Thursday, about $5,000 had been collected from groups like Operation MOM, individual veterans and the P-Town Pushrods hot rod club in Pleasanton, Gilmore said.
Jeramy grew up in Dublin and Pleasanton, earned his General Educational Development credential, and fulfilled a childhood ambition of joining the Army at age 18. He served in the Army's 10th Mountain Division for three years, then the stint in the National Guard.
He returned home for a spell while serving in Iraq to help his mother after she had knee surgery. Jeramy was "my rock," Janet said.
Janet Hopkins is on disability for lupus and a couple of other ailments. Her son drove her to appointments and helped with daily functions, she said.
"He told me, 'Mom, you can't go through all this by yourself,'"‰" she said. "It's going to be tough for me. I can't believe it happened."
Jeramy insisted his father come back to California from South Carolina because of the health problems and the fact that he was about to lose his house and car, Stanley said.
"He drove like 31/2 days straight in the U-Haul. That was his top priority," Stanley said, recalling the help Jeramy provided.
Stanley had another heart problem when coming to Pittsburg, and Jeramy insisted he go to the hospital.
"I wouldn't have gone if he wouldn't have made me go. He probably saved my life," Stanley said.
HOW TO HELP
A memorial trust fund has been set up for Jeramy Hopkins at ECC Bank of Agriculture, 1411 A St., Antioch, CA 94509. Donations can be made payable to: S.J. Hopkins Memorial Trust Fund.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_13359758?source=rss
Article Last Updated: Wednesday, April 02, 2003
3:31:59 AM PST
Alameda mother / grateful for MOM
FORMER PEACE Corps volunteer Lynne Fisher thought she closed the door on her world travels with the corps many years ago. Content to just settle down and raise a family, the Alamedan raised two sons and a daughter as a single mom. But her youngest, Joseph, was destined to follow in her footsteps. "On his 18th birthday he went down and joined the Marines," she said sadly. "But anyone who knows us should not be surprised. My father was a co-pilot during the invasion of Normandy, my brother was in Vietnam and at age 17, my grandfather drove a Harley delivering messages to the front in WW I. One of Joe's ancestors fought in the Civil War and his uniform is on display at the Smithsonian Institute."
"I saw my Marine in January, just before he went back to Camp Pendleton. After our visit, I watched him drive away and then I started crying. After all, I may never see him again," she said regretfully. "I realize that it could happen. Something is going to happen to somebody's child. I pray it's not mine. "I grew up in the 'boondocks' of Southwestern Penn- sylvania and attended the same high school with Joe Montana. I was so far out of the city that the only time I saw my friends was at church or school. While I was at Pittsburgh's Robert Morris University, Peace Corps recruiters came to my college. I filled out an application and later received an invitation to join the Corps."
Fisher began her Peace Corps travels on the Leeward Islands in Barbados, and later added countries like India, Guinea, Nairobi, and the Polytechnic Islamic Institute in Mombasa to her travels. She taught business courses to well-to-do locals in several countries.
"Once I left Mombasa, I went to India, Karachi, and Bombay and then I went up to Delhi and Katmandu. I later went to Calcutta. I just liked to travel," she said. "When I was a little kid, I was always looking at maps. I always had a globe and I was always telling everybody where I was going to go." "Joseph has been in the Marines since 2000 and is on his second tour. He's not allowed to talk about things but it's ironic that he's tracing some of my steps when I was in that part of the world," she said.
"My son is willing to give his life for his country and that's part of the cement that binds all our mothers together. Operation MOM has brought some peace to the mothers," she said. Fisher wonders why our local people are so divisive.
"I'd like to get more people involved supporting our children. It's distressing that local people are so cavalier about the war," she said. "It almost seems like they are trying to recreate the sixties and turn it in to just another public relations effort." Fisher says some are ignoring the hurts mothers feel over their sons and daughters. "At the last Operation MOM meeting we started talking about our children and the tears just flowed," Fisher said. "We were all crying. I'm a strong person with a lot of support and it's great that we have a group that understands. We have a common bond. It's getting worse and worse. We hear about casualties and the shivers run up our backs."
Her resolve is fragile, and her stoicism lingers over the anxiety this war could take her son away from her. "I don't watch too much television because I'm afraid I'll see my son in a bad situation. But I'm grateful for Operation MOM. At least we can share our emotions. Each of us knows how the other feels." In one of Joe's letters, he said there was so much sand you couldn't see the sun sometimes, Fisher recalls. He said he didn't have anything to write about, but he wanted me to know he'd be home safely this summer and not to worry. He said to tell everybody he loved them and tell Marion, (their 88-year-old neighbor), he said "hi."
Fisher's gaze lingers over a photo of her son, and a rush of pride comes over her. "I'm proud of Joseph, and as a loyal American, I'm proud to allow him to defend what we believe in. When my son comes home, I'm going to have my friend create a big banner and my old Peace Corps friends will greet him when he gets in."
Join Operation MOM in supporting our military sons and daughter. Log in on www.operationmom.org or contact Dottie at (925) 706-1736. Longtime Alameda resident Mark Raymond Chandler can be reached at 521-8302 or by e-mail to indonesia9@alamedanet.net .
3:31:59 AM PST
Alameda mother / grateful for MOM
FORMER PEACE Corps volunteer Lynne Fisher thought she closed the door on her world travels with the corps many years ago. Content to just settle down and raise a family, the Alamedan raised two sons and a daughter as a single mom. But her youngest, Joseph, was destined to follow in her footsteps. "On his 18th birthday he went down and joined the Marines," she said sadly. "But anyone who knows us should not be surprised. My father was a co-pilot during the invasion of Normandy, my brother was in Vietnam and at age 17, my grandfather drove a Harley delivering messages to the front in WW I. One of Joe's ancestors fought in the Civil War and his uniform is on display at the Smithsonian Institute."
"I saw my Marine in January, just before he went back to Camp Pendleton. After our visit, I watched him drive away and then I started crying. After all, I may never see him again," she said regretfully. "I realize that it could happen. Something is going to happen to somebody's child. I pray it's not mine. "I grew up in the 'boondocks' of Southwestern Penn- sylvania and attended the same high school with Joe Montana. I was so far out of the city that the only time I saw my friends was at church or school. While I was at Pittsburgh's Robert Morris University, Peace Corps recruiters came to my college. I filled out an application and later received an invitation to join the Corps."
Fisher began her Peace Corps travels on the Leeward Islands in Barbados, and later added countries like India, Guinea, Nairobi, and the Polytechnic Islamic Institute in Mombasa to her travels. She taught business courses to well-to-do locals in several countries.
"Once I left Mombasa, I went to India, Karachi, and Bombay and then I went up to Delhi and Katmandu. I later went to Calcutta. I just liked to travel," she said. "When I was a little kid, I was always looking at maps. I always had a globe and I was always telling everybody where I was going to go." "Joseph has been in the Marines since 2000 and is on his second tour. He's not allowed to talk about things but it's ironic that he's tracing some of my steps when I was in that part of the world," she said.
"My son is willing to give his life for his country and that's part of the cement that binds all our mothers together. Operation MOM has brought some peace to the mothers," she said. Fisher wonders why our local people are so divisive.
"I'd like to get more people involved supporting our children. It's distressing that local people are so cavalier about the war," she said. "It almost seems like they are trying to recreate the sixties and turn it in to just another public relations effort." Fisher says some are ignoring the hurts mothers feel over their sons and daughters. "At the last Operation MOM meeting we started talking about our children and the tears just flowed," Fisher said. "We were all crying. I'm a strong person with a lot of support and it's great that we have a group that understands. We have a common bond. It's getting worse and worse. We hear about casualties and the shivers run up our backs."
Her resolve is fragile, and her stoicism lingers over the anxiety this war could take her son away from her. "I don't watch too much television because I'm afraid I'll see my son in a bad situation. But I'm grateful for Operation MOM. At least we can share our emotions. Each of us knows how the other feels." In one of Joe's letters, he said there was so much sand you couldn't see the sun sometimes, Fisher recalls. He said he didn't have anything to write about, but he wanted me to know he'd be home safely this summer and not to worry. He said to tell everybody he loved them and tell Marion, (their 88-year-old neighbor), he said "hi."
Fisher's gaze lingers over a photo of her son, and a rush of pride comes over her. "I'm proud of Joseph, and as a loyal American, I'm proud to allow him to defend what we believe in. When my son comes home, I'm going to have my friend create a big banner and my old Peace Corps friends will greet him when he gets in."
Join Operation MOM in supporting our military sons and daughter. Log in on www.operationmom.org or contact Dottie at (925) 706-1736. Longtime Alameda resident Mark Raymond Chandler can be reached at 521-8302 or by e-mail to indonesia9@alamedanet.net .