Hill, James Arthur, Gen

Deceased

Service Photo

Service Details

Last Rank
General

Last Primary AFSC/MOS
00066-Air Commander

Last AFSC Group
Command and Control

Service Years
1943 - 1980

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Ohio

Year of Birth
1923

This Military Service Page was created/owned by the Site Administrator to remember Hill, James Arthur, Gen USAF(Ret).

Contact Info

Home Town Lancaster, Ohio	Last Address San Antonio, Texas

Date of Passing Oct 01, 2010
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, Virginia	Wall/Plot Coordinates Not Specified

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Additional Information

Last Known Activity
US Air Force General. After graduating from St. Mary's High School in 1940, he attended Ohio State University in 1942. In 1943, he was inducted into the US Army and after graduating from the aviation cadet training program, he received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in 1944. He flew 31 B-24 Liberator bomber combat missions in the European Theater during World War II while assigned to the 566th Bombardment Squadron and the 389th Bombardment Group. After the war, he continued his military service in the United States until 1949, when he was assigned back to Europe to fly C-54 Skymaster aircraft during the Berlin Airlift. In October 1949, he was assigned to the Air Training Command at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where he served as a basic training squadron commander and later as an executive officer in the US Air Force Preflight Training School. In April 1955, he was sent to the Far East Air Force at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, where he was the transport aircraft operations officer with the 483rd Troop carrier Wing and in May 1956, as the chief of current operations for the 315th Air Division. He returned to the United States in June 1958 where he was assigned to the Western Transport Air Force (now 22nd Air Force) at Travis Air Force Base, California. He then attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama from August 1960 to July 1961. After graduation, he was assigned to Headquarters US Air Force, Washington DC as an operations staff officer in the Plans and Capabilities Branch of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, and in July 1964, he became the deputy assistant director for joint matters in the Directorate of Operations. He then served as the deputy commander for operations of the 1502nd Air Transport Wing at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, from July 1965 to August 1966. In September 1966, he was assigned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command (now Air Mobility Command) at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, where he was the director of current operations and later as the assistant deputy chief of staff for operations. In July 1968, he was reassigned to Travis Air Force Base as the commander of the 60th Military Airlift Wing. He then returned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command as the deputy chief of staff for operations. In March 1971, he returned to the Pentagon as the deputy director of programs, and became the director in December 1971. In May 1974, he was assigned as the assistant deputy chief of staff, programs and resources, and assigned as the deputy chief of staff, programs and resources in July 1974. In June 1977, he returned to Hickam Air Force Base to be the Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces. His final assignment was back at the Pentagon where he assumed his duties as the Vice Chief of Staff on July 1, 1978 and was promoted to the grade of general on July 10, 1978. He retired from the Air Force on February 29, 1980 after 37 years of military service. Among his military decorations and awards are the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters. After his military retirement, he joined Bell Aerospace Services in 1981, leaving the firm in 1983 to pursue private interests. He died after a long battle with myelodysplastic syndrome.

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Other Comments:
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Photo Album (More...)

Service Photo

1944-1945, B-24 Liberator

From Year 1944	To Year 1945

Personal Memories

Not Specified

Image	B-24 Liberator Details
	Aircraft/Missile Information Specifications Model Consolidated B-24J Liberator Length 67.16 ft \| 20.47 m Width 110.01 ft \| 33.53 m Height 18.01 ft \| 5.49 m Engine(s) 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radial piston engines generating 1,200hp. Empty Weight 36,500 lbs \| 16,556 kg MTOW 65,001 lbs \| 29,484 kg Max Speed 290 mph \| 467 km/h \| 252 kts Max Range 2,001 miles \| 3,220 km Ceiling 28,002 ft \| 8,535 m \| 5.3 miles Climb Rate 800 ft/min (243.84 m/min) Hardpoints 0 Armament 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose assembly. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in tail assembly. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in upper-fuselage turret. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in under-fuselage assembly. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in left-waist fuselage position. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in right-waist fuselage position. Up to 8,800lbs of internal bombs. Accommodations 10 Operators the United States of America and the United Kingdom. * Model 31 - Flying Boat Model whose wing assembly would become the basis for the B-24 design. * Model 32 - Base B-24 Model Series Designation. * XB-24 - Initial Prototype Model Designation fitted with R-1830-33 radial piston engines generating 1,200hp. * YB-24 - Preproduction Model Designation * B-24A - Fitted with 2 x 7.62mm tail guns, 6 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose assembly, dorsal and waist gun positions. * B-24C - Fitted with turbocharged R-1830-41 engines; 8 x 12.7mm machine guns - nose (single gun), ventral, waist (left and right), dorsal turret (two guns) and tail turret (two guns). * B-24D - Based on the B-24C model but fitted with R-1830-43 engines; later models of this series would feature the twin 12.7mm ball turret gun assembly in the ventral fuselage position; self-sealing fuel tanks; 2,381 produced. * B-24E - Modified propeller systems; 801 produced. * B-24G - Fitted with R-1830-43 engines; powered nose turret with 2 x 12.7mm machine guns. * B-24H - Improved Model with extended nose section; 3,100 produced. * B-24J - Fitted with R-1830-65 engines; improved bombsight; autopilot functionality; 6,678 produced. * B-24L - Based on B-24J model but fitted with hand-operated tail guns; 1,667 produced. * B-24M - Based on B-24J model with lighter mounting for hand-operated tail gun; 2,593 produced. * XB-24Q - General Electric Conversion Model of B-24L model fitted with radio-controlled tail turret. * B-24Q - Final Production Model Designation * B-24Q * LB-30 - Transport Variant * C-87 - Air Force Transport Variant * RY - Navy Transport Variant * C-109 - Fuel Tanking Model * F-7 - Photographic Reconnaissance Model * PB4Y-1 - Patrol Bombing Model * PB4Y-2 - Specialized Model with single vertical tail surface assembly. * GR - British Maritime Reconnaissance Model.