Hills, John Russell
Air Force Major

John Russell Hills, age 40, from Saint Joseph County South Bend, Indiana .

Parents: John H. Hills
Spouse: Ruth
Children: Steven, 18; John, 1; Thomas 14; Eric, 10

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: University of Michigan

Date of death: Monday, February 14, 1966
Death details: Major John Russell Hills entered the U.S. Air Force from Indiana and was a member of the 1st Air Commando Squadron. On February 14, 1966, he was the pilot of a single-seat A-1E Skyraider (tail number 52-132665) on an armed reconnaissance mission over Laos. While strafing enemy ground targets, his aircraft crashed on a hill top in the vicinity of (GC) YC 164 071. It exploded and burned upon impact. Search and rescue efforts were conducted without success, and the hostile presence in the area prevented ground inspection of the crash site. Maj Hills remains unaccounted-for. Today, Major Hills is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed along with all his fallen comrades on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.

Source: National Archives, South Bend Tribune, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency