December 17, 1946 – January 21, 1968
Billy David Hill was born December 17, 1946 to Edna Clair (nee Pinkston) and Billy Hugh Hill. January 21, 1968 Staff Sergeant Hill was missing in action after the UH-1D helicopter, on which he was the door gunner, crashed and burned after intense hostile fire from the North Vietnamese Army. SSG Hill had just turned 21 and it was his second tour of duty in Vietnam. His body was not recovered and he remained MIA for almost 48 years. Until September 4, 2015 when his remains were identified and he was reclassified as KIA. The bones and a survivor of the crash, indicated that he probably died from the same volley of enemy fire that brought the helicopter down. SSG Hill had found a home in the Army, but still had aspirations to be a country music singer. He was learning to play the guitar. His civilian uniform was jeans (preferable light blue), cowboy boots and a white T-shirt that he could roll his cigarette pack up in the sleeve like James Dean. He started high school while living with his grandparents in Poteet, TX. He was living with family and going to school in Fallon, NV when he enlisted. SSG Hill left behind a large multi generation family. Most of whom have passed on in the ensuing years, including his mother, his two brothers, Robert C. Hill and Charlie E. Hill II, grandparents, Judge BC and Capitola Claunch (Poteet, TX), Uncle Charlie and Aunt Opal Hill (Fallon, NV), cousins, Donald Jacobs and Robert Jacobs. Family members still living are his 92 year old father, Billy Hugh Hill, cousins, Judy Hill and Beverly Hill Jacobs (Scott Lemon), Beverly’s sons, Ret. US Navy Commander Dean Jacobs (Shelly Dunn) and Douglas Jacobs (Jeff Mikeska). SSG Hill was awarded: Purple Heart with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with “V” Device and Numeral “13”, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Service Stars, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Aviation Badge-Basic, Expert Badge with Auto Rifle Bar, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with “60” Device and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm Device. SSG Hill will be buried in the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas on Thursday, December 17, 2015. Service to start at 1:00 p.m. SSG Hill will at last, have come home to his beloved Texas, on what would have been his 69th birthday. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Wounded Warrior Project.
