Michael Mayes

USS Hooper (DE-1026) was a Dealey-class destroyer escort commissioned by the United States Navy in 1957. Named after Lieutenant Commander James J. Hooper, the vessel was primarily tasked with anti-submarine warfare and fleet escort duties during the Cold War. Throughout its service, USS Hooper participated in numerous training exercises and patrols in the Atlantic and Caribbean, enhancing the Navy’s readiness against potential submarine threats. After nearly two decades of service, the ship was decommissioned in 1973 and subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register.