William R Hill, Deadeye

 
 
         
 

I was inducted into the Army September 11, 1944 in Indianapolis, Indiana just after turning eighteen. My basic training was at Camp Blanding Florida. I was at Fort Ord in California, Fort Lawton, Washington and from there I shipped to Oahu, Hawaii and to Saipan in the Marianas before going to Okinawa. I served on Okinawa with the 96th Division of the US Army, as a replacement, at the beginning of May of 1945 a month after the historic invasion of April 1st. I was there till August of 1945, leaving when a typhonn hit the island. I was on the way to Mindoro when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. When the 96th Division went home, I was transfered to the 86th Division on Luzon. Then I was transferred to AFWESPAC headquarters where I was on the staff of the newspaper, the Daily Pacifican. I left the Philipines and returned home October of 1946 via Cape Mears troop ship. I was discharged in December of 1946 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. (2years 2 months 22 days)

  
         
         
   

 

"Always a Deadeye"

The seeds of “Always a Deadeye” were actually sown in the year 2000. This was when my son Paul and I took a tour back to the old battlegrounds of Okinawa. As we shared our combat stories, a warm realization swept over me: these men were my new buddies, and we were all Deadeyes. After returning home, and a little later on, I put these feelings of camaraderie and sacrifice into this poem. I fussed over the words and meter and when it was finished I passed it on to other members of the tour. Jim Causey read it at the following 96th Division Reunion. I was of course delighted with the acceptance. I have an illustrated copy available for you to see or to print on this site. To have a decorated copy of this poem, just click on the small decorated copy below for a PDF file to copy to your desktop and print.

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I was honored at the 2006 Deadeye Reunion in Denver, Colorado, when I was asked to stand as "Always a Deadeye" was read during the memorial service.

  
         
 

 

      
 
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"Blue Star in the Window"

A Memoir of the Army Service
of William R Hill in WWII

    
     
 
         
 

military

We meet on the fourth Monday of every month at 5:30 at K of C Hall at 71st and Keystone Indianapolis. Come join us for a night of sharing of military history and comaraderie.

Be sure to click on the Tank at the Military Round Table site for some fun.

  
 
 
     

2000

Valor Tours

http://www.valortours.com

  
         
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The Digital Collections of WWII Deadeye Interviews at IUPUI University,

Oral History #68

Indianapolis, IN

      
         
         
     
     
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