Edwin J. Hill
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| Edwin Joseph Hill | |
|---|---|
| October 4, 1894 – December 7, 1941 (aged 47) | |
  Chief Boatswain Edwin J. Hill |
|
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Place of death | Killed during the Attack on Pearl Harbor |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1912-1941 |
| Rank | Chief Petty Officer (Chief Boatswain) |
| Battles/wars | Attack on Pearl Harbor |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Edwin Joseph Hill posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.
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[edit] Biography
Hill's birth records indicate that he was born 4 October 1894 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hill enlisted in the United States Navy in 1912, rising to the rank of Chief Boatswain.
During the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was serving on board USS Nevada (BB-36). In the midst of the attack, he led the ship's line-handling detail in casting off from the quays alongside Ford Island so that Nevada could get underway. In particular, Hill is noted for having dove off the back of the Nevada into the harbor, climbed onto the dock to release the battleship from its mooring, dove back into the harbor to swim after the ship as it steamed away, and climbed back up the Nevada to resume his duties onboard during the attack. He was killed by an enemy bomb that struck the bow of the ship, claiming the lives of Hill and 46 other Nevada crewmen. Hill had been attempting to drop anchor at the end of the battleship's brief sortie during his death. Hill's body was found impacted with bullet wounds, suggesting that he may have been killed by gunfire; whether or not these wounds were sustained before or after the bomb blast will never be known, and his Medal of Honor citation reports the bomb blast as being the cause of death.
Several surviving Nevada crewmen, who at time were young men of 18 and 19 years old, credit Hill with saving their lives by ordering them during the action to take protective cover behind the ship's gun turrets. It may be surmised that the veteran Hill would have recognized that these younger sailors, being completely mentally unprepared for a sudden full-scale sneak attack, would have been panicking and at great risk of being "cannon fodder" while on deck, prompting his order for them to take cover. On reflection, these former sailors mention that Hill, who was 47 years old at the time of the attack and had 30 years of naval service, had a level of respect on par with the captain of the Nevada himself.
For his heroism during the Pearl Harbor action, Chief Boatswain Hill was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
[edit] Namesake
In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Hill (DE-141) was named in his honor.
[edit] See also
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
Medal of Honor citation:
- For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary courage, and disregard of his own safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. During the height of the strafing and bombing, Chief Boatswain Hill led his men of the linehandling details of the U.S.S. Nevada to the quays, cast off the lines and swam back to his ship. Later, while on the forecastle, attempting to let go the anchors, he was blown overboard and killed by the explosion of several bombs.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
