The Wall › Panel 5E › Indiana › John Russell Hills
JOHN RUSSELL HILLS
Major · U.S. Air Force
November 25, 1925 – February 14, 1966
Service recordJohn Russell Hills, of South Bend, Indiana, served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force. He died on February 14, 1966, in Laos, at age 40. His name is inscribed on Panel 5E, Line 34 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 5E · Line 34
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Air Force
- Rank
- Major (MAJ)
- Service
- Regular
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 ACO SQ
- Born
- November 25, 1925
- Home of record
- South Bend, Indiana (St Joseph County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 14, 1966
- Age
- 40
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
33 names on the Wall carry the date February 14, 1966. In February 1966, 513 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “1 ACO SQ”, his unit in the record, lost 2 of its members that month.
He died in Laos while the air war over Laos was under way. From 1964 to 1973, U.S. aircraft bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail and supported the war in northern Laos; many of the Americans lost over Laos were never recovered.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Read the history
Also on Panel 5E, Line 34
- DENNIS DONALD BACKENPrivate First Class · August 24, 1965
- TOMMY EDWARD HILLPetty Officer Second Class · February 14, 1966
- WILLIAM ARTHUR HOOS JRCaptain · February 14, 1966
- JOSEPH DANIEL JARRELLPrivate First Class · February 14, 1966
- CARLOS DENNIS JELKSPrivate First Class · February 14, 1966
From South Bend
- RONALD LEE RUNKELLance Corporal · August 24, 1965
- ALLEN L HIGGINBOTHANSpecialist Four · April 2, 1966
- EVEANS JERRY STULTSSergeant · September 2, 1966
- KENNETH EUGENE KASAStaff Sergeant · April 19, 1967
- LARRY FLOYD JANKOWSKIPrivate · May 8, 1967
- RUSSELL PERRY MILLERPrivate First Class · May 10, 1967
- LONNIE MICHAEL HOLMESSergeant · June 15, 1967
- LEE CHARL HITCHCOCKCaptain · September 10, 1967
- MICHAEL JENNINGS HALLSecond Lieutenant · January 8, 1968
- PAUL MICHAEL ROBERTSPrivate · January 20, 1968
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. This page presents the official record and its historical context; no biography has been written for him yet. See something wrong? Report a correction.