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PROFILE OF A MUSEUM
VOLUNTEER
Warren W. Hills was born on January 14,
1923 in Fresno, California. He
graduated from Fresno High January 30, 1942 and immediately enlisted in the
USMC, reporting for boot camp in San Diego on February 16, 1942. Upon completion of basic training, he was
sent to Aviation Ordinance School at the US Naval Air Station in
Jacksonville, Florida. After AO, he was sent to Hollywood, Florida for Naval
Aerial Gunnery School and then assigned to US Naval Air Station Miramar in
San Diego. Warren joined the VMTB-143
Torpedo Bomber Squadron where he received extensive training. His outfit was then packed up and shipped
to the South Pacific area on the USS LuraLine,
which required no escorts as the ship had an excellent cruising speed.
Arriving in New Caladonia
Island, his outfit was transferred to the Cargo ,
USS Hunter Liggett, which was headed in a convoy to New Hebrides Island where
their home base would be established on the island of Efate. From Efate, Warren’s outfit flew submarine
patrols and was far enough away from the Solomon Islands the enemy fighters
did not harass their planes, but enemy night bombers always remained a
concern. Around Thanksgiving Day 1943,
his outfit moved to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and joined two fighter and two dive bomber squadrons. On the very first night, all hell broke
loose, as the Japanese began bombing and shelling Guadalcanal. Warren’s
outfit had 18 planes on the ground at dark, but the next morning, only 14
remained flyable. The other squadrons
also suffered the same damage predicament.
Warren flew 49 missions that included Glide Bombing and strafing of
airstrips in the Solomon Island chain.
They laid magnetic mines at Kahili Harbor at
Bougainville and hit shipping lanes.
The US Navy had some malfunctioning torpedoes that forced US planes to
Glide Bomb enemy ships. During this
campaign, Warren received an R&R trip to Sydney, Australia that he
remembers having enjoyed immensely.
Later, while on a mission to dive bomb an airstrip on Munda Island, Warren’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire in
the oil line and was forced to ditch about 2 miles off shore. Fortunately, a US Navy PBY-Black Cat that
happened to be nearby picked up his crew of three within 10 minutes.
After
a December, 1943 leave to the states, Warren reported to the El Toro Marine
Air Station, joining the VMSB-234 Dive Bombing Squadron. On November 7, 1944 he was sent to the
Philippines as a replacement gunner, joining the VMSB-133 Dive Bombing
Squadron at Mangalan Airbase on Luzon. He arrived during the third day of the
invasion of Luzon and flew close air support for the US Army’s 41st
Infantry. Warren had 38 missions over Luzon and Mindinao. When Warren left for the states
,the Japanese Air Power had weakened to the point it had lost most of
its effectiveness.
In
December 1945, after a Christmas leave, Warren reported to Cherry Point, NC
Marine Air Station and finished his 4 years enlistment as a Staff Sergeant on
February 16, 1946. During his military
career Warren received 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 10 Air Medals, Asiatic
Pacific Medal with 5 stars, The Philippine
Liberation Medal with 1 Star, American Theatre Medal, Victory Medal and the
Good Conduct Medal.
While
attending a semester at Fresno State , Warren met
his future wife Georgine Booth. They were married on August 3, 1946 and
have 3 children, Robert, Sandra and John.
They now have 3 grandsons, Sean, Jonathan and Jason and 2
granddaughters, Natalie and Casey, and 1 great grand
daughter Briana. After working
for the US Post Office for 5 years, Warren was recalled for the Korean
Conflict, but on November 9, 1950 was released on a dependency
discharge. Warren worked in San
Francisco for 13 years before returning to Fresno in September 1971, forming
his own business, Hills Appliance Repair, which he ran until retiring in
December 1991. Warren is active in the
Masons, Scottish Rite, Sciots, Hi
Twelve and is Past President of the Fresno Optimist Club. He became a docent at the Legion of Valor
Museum in October 1998 and thoroughly enjoys his position. |
