Edwin Joseph Hill was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 4 October 1894. He enlisted in the Navy in 1912 and later became a warrant officer, rising to the rank of Chief Boatswain. During the 7 December 1941 Japanese air raid 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. He was killed by enemy bombs while attempting to drop anchor at the end of the battleship's brief sortie. For his heroism during the Pearl Harbor action, Chief Boatswain Hill was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
The escort ship USS Hill (DE-141), 1943-1974, was named in honor of Chief Boatswain Hill.
This page features our only view of Chief Boatswain Edwin Joseph Hill, USN.
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Medal of Honor citation of Chief Boatswain Edwin Joseph Hill (as printed in the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", page 206): |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 3 December 2000