General Hocker was born May 26, 1932, in Stanford, Kentucky. Jesse Hocker graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1954 with a B.S. degree in business administration. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force through the Reserve Officers Training Corps Program. He also obtained a Master's degree in Business Administration from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. His military service schools included Squadron Officer School, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and Air Command and Staff College.

During his 30-year career in the Air Force, he flew 25 different Air Force bomber, fighter, reconnaissance, tanker, cargo, and trainer aircraft. A command pilot with over 8,000 flying hours, he was an instructor pilot in the B-47 and B-52 bombers, and the F-4 fighter. He had flown the U-2, the TR-1 reconnaissance aircraft, and he was one of a small number of pilots in the world to have flown the SR- 71 "Blackbird" which is the world's fastest aircraft, cruising at three times the speed of sound. General Hocker also had the opportunity to frequently fly as the Airborne Emergency Actions Officer in charge of the Strategic Air Command Airborne Command Post (commonly referred to as the Looking Glass Flying Command Center).

He entered the Air Force in December 1954 and completed pilot training in February 1956. In March 1956, he was assigned to the 509th Bombardment Wing, Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico, as a B- 47 co-pilot, and subsequently moved with the Wing to Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, in 1958. From 1958 to 1966, General Hocker served with the Wing at Pease, as a B-47 pilot, instructor pilot, flight commander, flight examiner, and wing standardization and evaluation officer.

In June 1966, General Hocker moved to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, to attend Air Command and Staff College. Upon graduation in June 1967, he transferred to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, to undergo combat crew training in F-4C's. He was subsequently assigned to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in February 1968. During this assignment he served as an F-4 instructor pilot and flight commander with the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing and flew 205 combat missions.

Following his tour of duty in Southeast Asia in February 1969, General Hocker was assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing, Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, as a B-52 pilot. In February 1970, he deployed with the Wing on temporary duty to Southeast Asia as an operations officer and B-52 instructor pilot. During this Southeast Asia tour of duty, he flew 22 combat missions. While assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing, General Hocker served as an operations officer, squadron commander, director of training and assistant director of operations.

In February 1973, General Hocker transferred to the 7th Bombardment Wing at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. He served as Wing Director of Operations until September 1975 when he went to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, as Director of Safety. He held this position until September 1977 when he was assigned as Commander, 2nd Combat Support Group, 2nd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. From February 1979 to February 1981, General Hocker commanded the 379th Bombardment Wing, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan. He was then named Director of Command Control at SAC Headquarters. General Hocker acted as the executive agent for the SAC Commander in Chief for Command and Control of the Command's worldwide strike forces. In June 1981, he was promoted to Brigadier General. In February 1982, he became the Commander of the 14th Air Division, Beale Air Force Base, California where he flew the U-2, the TR-1 and the SR-71.

After retirement, Gen Hocker was employed until 1988 by Intertek Service Corporation, one of the largest third-party inspection firms in the country. From 1988 to 1997, he was owner and president of Petrochem International Corporation, which specialized in refinery and pipeline inspection on a worldwide basis. Following the sale of Petrochem in 1997, Gen Hocker devoted his efforts to the operation of the Hocker Farm in Lincoln County.

General Hocker died of complications from cancer on November 24, 2003 at the age of 71.