The Dedication Page

 

To John E Hopkins

also known as "Hopalong, Hoppy"
                       (1946 - 2005)

Neil W Crawford

"Penguin_au" ...  and
                       (1944 - 2004)

Vincent E Price

also known as "Easy(HOG)Rider, Ned Kelly and Vinnie"
                       (1960 - 2006)

Vincent E Price

Click here to enlarge image

Rest in Peace, My Best Friend!

"KEEP MY MEMORY!"

 

"Paying Our Last Respects.

May they now seek peace and happiness for evermore!"

  A mystic aura emanates
Where we proud vets do congregate
In bars, in clubs, in the halls
Our Patriotism does befall.

  Over our brews we recollect
War tales too real to soon forget
Our raspy voices do declare:
"Proudly we served, we did our share".

  In awe young vets do stop and stare
A curious feeling fills the air:
"These men so old and yet so young,
Their camaraderie makes them one".

  Sadly these rites abruptly cease
A calm replaces all the bliss
The news we loathe have just arrived
One of our own last night had died.

  There is not a dry eye in the room
As someone plays that sombre tune
It does remind us that last night
An old Proud Vet lost his last fight.

  After months of Searching and seeking to make contact again. It sadden me to learn at the last moment the my good Friend and Mentor in Scam Baiting Demise, and that John was going to leave me.
It was through a tracing agency that I learnt of this bad news. I would like to thank the Health Professionals that made John's last days comfortable and peaceful.
I do not know who you are, but if you are reading this line.
Please except my deepest gratitude, and also thank you for keeping me informed.
Easy(HOG)Rider

John E Hopkins

Click here to enlarge image

Name: John Edwin Hopkins
Born: August 28 1946 - Horsham, Victoria, Australia
Passed Away: December 29 2005 - Perth Western Australia at 15:42 Western Standard Time.
Age: 59 years.

Some little known facts:
Education: Both Primary and Secondary, Horsham. Victoria
Believe to gone to what is now known as Year 12 in Secondary Education.
Employment History:
  Upon entering the work force, joined the former State Bank of Victoria [Now the Commonwealth Bank],
as a junior teller at various locations in the metropolitan area and some country branches in Victoria.
Working his way up to senior teller, till he received his Call Up for National Service.
After serving his National Service John returned to the bank for several years.
But unable to settle down in the community after a 12 month tour of South Vietnam,
during the Vietnam conflict, John withdrew from major contact, with the exception of his immediate family-but even this was a strained relationship, seeing it ending in John leaving his wife and Children.




In Memoriam to John E Hopkins

John Edwin Hopkins of Australia was a fellow scambaiter whom I had the honor of exchanging emails with over the course of a few months.
I was honored that he would seek out my advice and opinions for some baits that were beyond my capability of engaging in. One of his proudest accomplishments was arranging to meet some scammers at the airport in Accra, Ghana. They were convinced that they were there to meet their next victim. Instead they met some police officers who were there to arrest them, at the encouragement of Mr. Hopkins.
Mr. Hopkins served his country in Vietnam. Largely unknown to many Americans are the contributions by brave Australian soldiers who fought Communist expansion in the Indo-China region. In the course of his service, he was exposed to some chemical agents which had the unfortunate effect of causing him complications later in life.
These complications led to cancer. Mr. Hopkins lost his last battle on 29 December 2005 at the age of 59.
One of Mr. Hopkins' enduring legacies is the continuing fight against West African-based scam artists. He and some of the servicemen that he served with banded together in this fight. He was preceded in his passing by a scambaiter known as "Penguin AU".
Before Mr. Hopkins left us, he passed the torch to a scambaiter that I know as "Easy (HOG) Rider", with whom I am in frequent contact with. The fight against the so-called 419 fraud was an important enough fight for him to take the time and effort to mentor the HOG Rider; and it is this fight that he and those of us who electronically knew Mr. Hopkins carry on.
We may never become inventive enough to convince authorities to arrest West African scammers in their own territory.
We may never acquire the skills to hack their email accounts in the effort to prevent other victims from coming into harm. But the one thing that we are sure of, is that John Hopkins inspired us to become better scambaiters and his challenge will continue to live with us for as long as the 419 scam exists.
Rest in peace, my friend. I have comfort in knowing that I will one day get to meet you in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Barry Kelly



From Easy (HOG) Rider:
The attached image. This was given to me by John, after been scanned from a book. John [Hopalong] Hopkins is laying on the ground, closest to the centre of the picture. Now the guy standing up and next to John, is someone very special, according to John.
The guy standing up and to the left, holding the rifle high, is none other than Penguin AU , or his real name of Neil Crawford, not Brett Sutton as he used on the message Board.
Just over 3 months after this picture was taken, Neil saved John's life when his was badly wound. Two months later Neil became his own casualty, by exposing himself to enemy fire, to bring in wounded Aussie Troops, brought in 4 and was going for the 5th one, when he also was seriously wounded.
For this act Neil received the highest award for a NCO-The Military Medal, not sure of the American Version. The medal is awarded for "BRAVERY UNDER FIRE". John told Neil had just turned 20 years old when this picture was taken in South Vietnam, one of the best Combat Medic Specialist around according to John. Believe the American equil, is a Corpsman.

Neil W Crawford

Click here to enlarge image

"THANK YOU" and Goodbye, my Friends. We will never forget YOU!".    Cat Kelly

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