MAJOR GENERAL EDMUND W. HILL

Edmund W. Hill was born in New London, Conn., on April 26, 1896. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry on Aug. 9, 1917, and was promoted to first lieutenant on the same date.

From August 1917 until November 1917 he attended the Officers Training School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He was then assigned to the 12th Infantry at the Presidio of San Francisco, Calif., and moved with that regiment to Camp Mills, N.Y. in October 1918; to Camp Stuart, Va., in November 1918; and to Camp Hill, Va., in December 1918.

He went to Europe in May 1919 for duty at St. Nazaire in France, and in June 1919 joined the 4th Infantry at Plaidt, Germany He went to the Replacement Depot at Coblenz, Germany, in August 1919, and in March 1920 was assigned to the 50th Infantry at Mayen. He returned to the United States and was assigned to Ross Field, Calif., as a student at the Army Balloon School.

In December 1921 he became Secretary of the Balloon Observers School there, and on Feb. 25, 1922, he transferred from Infantry to the Air Service. He went to Langley Field, Va., in October 1922 and entered the Air Service Tactical School. Upon graduation in June 1923, he was ordered to Scott Field, Ill., for duty at the Balloon and Airship School.

He completed the course at that school in June 1924, and became an instructor there. He entered the Coast Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Va., in September 1926, and graduated in June 1927. He then went to Brooks Field, Texas, where he entered the Air Corps Primary Flying School. In September 1927 he entered the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, and graduated from the Observers Course in February 1928.

He then returned to Scott Field, Ill., and in September 1928 was ordered to Chanute Field, Ill. He entered the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in August 1929, and completed the two-year course in June 1931. He became an instructor at the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala., and in October 1934 he went to Randolph Field, Texas, where he entered the Air Corps Primary School. In June 1925 he went to Kelly Field, Texas, for the Bombardment Course at the Air Corps Advanced Flying School, graduating in October 1935.

In November 1935 he became Air Officer of the Sixth Corps Area with Headquarters in Chicago, Ill. He entered the Army War College in Washington, D.C., in September 1938, graduating in June 1939. He then became Commanding Officer of Bolling Field, D.C., until 1941. During WWII he commanded the U.S. Air Forces in North Ireland.

He was in charge of air operations at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences and established air forces in Berlin. He was Commanding Officer in charge of postwar planning with the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe in 1944, and Commanding General of the U.S. Air Forces in Russia in 1945. He was also coordinator of the Inter-American Defense Board before his retirement.

His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal. He also had been decorated by Great Britain and France.

PROMOTIONS
Captain (temporary), June 19, 1918; captain (permanent), July 1, 1920; major, Aug. 1, 1935; lieutenant colonel (temporary), Nov. 13, 1935; lieutenant colonel (permanent); Aug. 9, 1940; colonel (temporary), Nov. 16, 1940; brigadier general (temporary), Aug. 1, 1942; major general, Jan. 3, 1945.