David Lee "Tex" Hill

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David Lee "Tex" Hill (born July 13, 1915, in Kwangju, Korea) was a Flight Leader and flying ace in World War II. He earned his wings as a U.S. Naval Aviator in 1939 and joined the fleet as a TBD Torpedo bomber pilot before joining a SBD dive bomber squadron aboard USS Ranger. In 1941, he was recruited with other Navy, Army and Marine Corps pilots to join the 1st American Volunteer Group (better known by its later nickname of the Flying Tigers). He learned to fly the P-40 in the AVG training program in Burma and did well as a fighter pilot in the 2nd Pursuit Squadron as a flight leader and then squadron commander becoming one of the top aces under the tutelage of Claire Chennault. After the AVG was absorbed into the USAAF in July 1943, Hill remained with Chennault taking over the 75th Fighter Squaron and later the 23rd Fighter Group racking up a total of 18.25 kills. Postwar, he joined the Texas Air National Guard, in which capacity he was a combat pilot during the Korean war. He ended his military career in the Air Force Reserves, retiring as a brigadier general. He holds the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Chinese Order of the Cloud Banner 4, 5 & 6th, 2-Star Wing Decorations, Chinese Victory Medal, and British Distinguished Flying Cross.