Lieutenant Commander Hopping was the pilot of a F9F-2 Panther jet fighter and Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron 141 (721) aboard carrier USS Kearsarge (CV-33). On 21 November 1952, while striking a bridge five miles north of Yangdok, North Korea, his aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed. He was presumed dead on 10 June 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Lieutenant Commander Hopping was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.