William E. Hill
William E. Hill | |
|---|---|
| File:William E. Hill Tuskegee Pilot died 1943.jpg William E. Hill (1943) | |
| Birth name | William Edward Hill |
| Born | July 31, 1923 Tappahannock, Essex County, Virginia, |
| Died | November 22, 1943 (aged 20) Lake Huron, Michigan |
| Buried | Riverside Cemetery in South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island (41°26′32″N 71°29′58″E / 41.442254°N 71.499316°ECoordinates: 41°26′32″N 71°29′58″E / 41.442254°N 71.499316°E⧼validator-fatal-error⧽ ) |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Army Air Force |
| Years of service | 1942-1943 |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Unit | |
| Awards |
|
| Relations | Parents, William and Fannie, Sister Gloria |
2nd Lt. William E. Hill (July 31, 1923 - November 22, 1943) from Narragansett, Rhode Island, was a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Hill died in 1943 in a parachuting accident over Lake Huron. He is listed in the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame in the category of Special recognition.[1]
Early life and education[edit]
He was born in Tappahannock, Virginia and his parents were William and Fannie Esther (Née Monroe). He had one sister named Gloria. At an early age the family moved to Narragansett, Washington County, Rhode Island. He went to South Kingstown High School in Rhode Island and graduated in 1941.[2]
Military service[edit]
On August 30, 1943 Hill was a graduate of the Tuskegee flight program. He was the first black pilot from Rhode Island. He was assigned to the 302nd Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. Shortly after graduation Hill was assigned to Oscada MI, for additional training. His P-39Q Airacobra burst into flames over Lake Huron and Hill attempted to parachute: his parachute covered him in the lake and his body was never found.[N 1] Even though his body was not recovered, his parents purchased a headstone and placed in Riverside Cemetery in South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island.[2]
Awards[edit]
- Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2006[3]
See also[edit]
- Dogfights (TV series)
- Executive Order 9981
- List of Tuskegee Airmen
- Military history of African Americans
- The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)
Further reading[edit]
- The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2/LT William E. Hill". riahof.org. RI Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2nd Lt. William E. Hill". CAF Rise Above. CAF Rise Above. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ↑ "Public Law 109–213—APR. 11, 2006 Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen" (PDF). Congress.gov. US Library of Congress. 11 April 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ↑ Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949. Montgomery: New South Books. p. 394. ISBN 978-1588382443. Retrieved 6 February 2020. Search this book on
External links[edit]
- Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
- Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
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