"Pop" Hunter was a human civilian and owner of Pop Hunter's Flying Circus. He had one biological son, Rick Hunter, and one adopted son, Roy Fokker. He raised both to be be aviation prodigies, and was against either of them participating in war. While some sources indicate that his first name was Earl (Robotech: The Graphic Novel, Robotech/Voltron) other sources called him by the name Mitchell (Robotech: From the Stars)
Biography
"Pops" Hunter comforts Roy Fokker, who he has taken in as his own son. Behind him, a young Rick Hunter sleeps in the arms of his mother. (Robotech/Voltron: 2)
"Pops" Hunter served in the United States Navy, where he became close friends with Dan Fokker. He served as a fighter pilot during the Gulf War. Fokker was killed during Operation Desert Storm, and Hunter assumed guardianship of Fokker's son, Roy. (Robotech/Voltron: 2)
Hunter's experience in War made him staunchly against his children being in such conflict. After retiring, he stared an air show, which he named Pop Hunter's Flying Circus, and raised his children in the art of the sky. (Robotech: The Graphic Novel, Robotech: From the Stars)
Pop was constantly worried about the well-being of his children. After Roy flew his by-plane out during a severe thunderstorm to please viewers of the Circus, Pop lectured Roy; telling him that reckless and stupid stunts would not only end up hurting him, but those around him as well. (From the Stars 0: Promises)
Pop's adopted son Roy was forced to go to into the conflict of the Global War, and promised Pop that he would return after the war was finished. (Macross Saga: Boobytrap) With Roy gone and the global conflict on the rise, attendances to the Flying Circus began to dwindle. Pop and Rick ventured out to Sacramento to set up, but discovered that the airport had been closed because of a conflict. Pop decided that it would be the best to close the circus until the war could come to a close and attendance could increase. It was only a short time later, however, that they witnessed a destructive event that would bring the conflict to an end. (Robotech: The Graphic Novel)
Rick visits his father's grave. (Robotech: The Graphic Novel)
However, after an alien spaceship crash-landed on Earth and ended the war, Roy did not return home and instead joined the project to test reverse-engineered technology from the space-craft, finding that Robotechnology just "got under [his] blood." (Macross Saga: Boobytrap)
Pop Hunter died in 2006. (Robotech: The Graphic Novel, Robotech/Voltron 2) Rick visited his grave in 2009 before leaving his home for Macross Island. (Robotech: The Graphic Novel)