This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SPC Steven Ryan (LoneWolf)
to remember
Hill, David, L. (Tex) (DSC,SS,DFC), COL.
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Contact Info
Home Town Texas
Last Address Kwangju
Date of Passing Oct 11, 2007
Location of Interment Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery (VA) - San Antonio, Texas
David Lee "Tex" Hill was a fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II, with later service in Korea. Before WWII he served in the United States Navy, and during WWII he saw combat with the famed "Flying Tigers." After the deactivation of the Flying Tigers in July 1942, Hill was one of only five Flying Tigers to join the US Army Air Forces. He was promoted to major in the Army Air Corps, and activated the 75th Fighter Squadron and was later to command the 23rd Fighter Group as a Colonel.
It is believed that he was the first to down a Zero with a P-51. Altogether, Hill destroyed 18.25 enemy aircraft. The .25 kill comes from an assist; he and 3 other pilots worked together to shoot down a Nate.
Recruited from the U.S. Navy into the AVG. Traveled to the Far East on the M/V Bloemfontein and was a member of the "Bloom Gang". Flight leader and later Squadron Leader of the 2nd Pursuit Sqdn "Panda Bears". Tex was credited with 12 1/4 enemy aircraft destroyed while flying with the Flying Tigers. Following the 4 July 1942 disbandment of the AVG, Tex commanded the Tiger Sharks of the 75th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, CATF. His call sign was "Shark One". Later, when he returned from assignments stateside, Tex commanded the 23rd Fighter Group of the 14th Air Force. Adding 6 more aerial victories, his WWII total stands at 18.25, making Tex a triple ace. He served for many years on the Board of Directors of the AVG Flying Tigers Association.
Northern Solomons Campaign (1943-44)/Battle of New Georgia
From Month/Year
June / 1943
To Month/Year
August / 1943
Description Landings on New Georgia began as early as June 20, 1943 when Marines, followed by Army forces the next day, landed at Segi Point and moved overland to take Viru Harbor on July 1. There were various other landings on New Georgia, but the principal effort, with Munda as its objective, began on June 10, 1943 (D-Day for this phase of the operation) with a landing on Rendova Island, just off New Georgia and near Munda.
From Rendova, Marine and Army forces invaded New Georgia and closed on the Japanese base at Munda, which fell after nearly six weeks of hard fighting on August 5, 1943. Another Japanese strong point at Bairoko Harbor, 8 miles north of Munda, fell on August 25. Kolombangara was bypassed with the landing of Army, Marine, and New Zealand troops on Vella Lavella and Arundel Islands.
There was considerable air and naval action, and the Japanese lost heavily in ships and planes as they first reinforced and then evacuated their island positions. It was October before the Allies had fully secured the island group.
