Hill, James Arthur, Gen

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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