| Born July
13, 1915 in Kwangju, Korea of missionary parents, David
Lee "Tex" Hill graduated from San Antonio Academy in
1928, and from the McCallie School in Chattanooga,
Tennessee in 1934. He then attended Texas A&M for two
years before transferring to Austin College, from which
he graduated in 1938.
He entered the U.S. Navy,
graduating as a Naval Aviator from Pensacola in 1939. He
then served on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga as a
torpedo bomber pilot for a year before transferring to
the East coast to the USS Ranger as a dive-bomber pilot.
He was recruited out of
the Navy in early 1941 to join the American Volunteer
Group, known as the original "Flying Tigers." He served
as flight leader and later squadron leader of the 2nd
Squadron until it was disbanded in July, 1942. He was
one of five pilots and twenty-seven ground personnel who
volunteered to remain in China and accept commissions in
the U.S. Army Air Corps to activate the 23rd Fighter
Group. Given a spot promotion to major, he activated the
75th Fighter Squadron as squadron commander. He became
the second-highest ranking ace in the American Volunteer
Group with 12 1/4 victories. He returned to the U.S. in
December, 1942 and commanded the Providing Ground Group
at Eglin Field, Florida.
In October, 1943, he
returned to China at the request of General Chennault to
command the 23rd Fighter Group and subsequently added
six more victories to his score. After his return to the
U.S. in November, 1944, he was assigned to command the
412th Fighter Group, which was the first jet group in
the U.S. Air Force.
Leaving active duty in
July, 1946, he jointed the Texas Air National Guard. He
was subsequently appointed brigadier general in command
of the 58th Fighter Wing, the youngest one-star general
in the history of the Guard.
His military decorations
include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, four
Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals and two
Presidential Unit Citations. He was also decorated by
the Chinese government six times and was presented the
British Distinguished Flying Cross by Lord Halifax.
He is a past President of
the American Volunteer Group Association, a director and
past President of the American Fighter Aces Association
and a past National Vice-Commander of the Order of
Daedalians. He is a 33rd Degree Mason. |
Tex Hill as a Flying Tiger, circa 1941
Tex Hill with "his cadets", July
2002 |
In 1993 he received the Outdoorsman of the Year Award
and in 1995 received the Humanitarian Award from the San
Antonio Academy and was named Warbird of the year. In
1996 he was designated a Distinguished Alumnus of Austin
College and in 1997 was inducted into the Confederate
Air Force's Combat Airman Hall of Fame. In 1998 he was
selected as an Eagle for the Gathering of Eagles at the
Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio and received the Lloyd
Nolen Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award. In 1999 he
was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. He
has been selected as an Eagle six times for the
Gathering of Eagles at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and is
honored frequently at major air shows throughout the
country.
He is married to Mazie
Caroline Sale from Victoria, Texas. They had four
children, seven grandchildren and three great
grandchildren. They make their home in San Antonio |
