Richard L. Hill

                                   Branch of Service: U.S. Navy

                                  Years of Service:  1949 - 1953

                            Final Rank:  Petty Officer 3rd Class - MU3

 

                       Tours of Duty

          

  • Great Lakes Boot Camp

  • US Navy School of Music - Washington, D.C. - graduated 1950

  • Battleship New Jersey (BB62) - Ships Band & Gunner

  • Brooklyn Navy Yard

  • Norfolk Naval Station

  • Caribbean Shake Down

  • Panama Canal

  • Pacific Far East 7th Fleet Flag

  • Korea Combat Zone - primarily bombardment duty of East Coast of Northern Korea

  • besides band duties, served as loader on 40mm anti-aircraft gun quad during General Quarters and projectile loader on 5"dual gun mount during bombardment action

  • Atlantic Fleet - Norfolk, VA

  • Navy Air Station - Pensacola, FL - Navy Shore Band

             

 

Warfare Specialization

Ship's Band

40mm quad loader/5" gun loader

 

Medals & Decorations 

Korean Presidential Unit Citation

 

Significant Experiences

  • Washington, DC - Navy  Ceremonial Band - played for President Truman & many other dignitaries, several big parades down Constitution Ave.

  • Korea - Major firefight in Wonsan Harbor, North Korea - May 21, 1951 - Ship hit by North Korean shore batteries - some shipmates wounded and killed - manned 40-mm quad during engagement

  • Japan - New Jersey Band toured major Armed Forces hospitals during ship repairs in June 1951 playing for wounded vets

  • Korea - Battleship New Jersey engaged in numerous close-in bombardment engagements knocking out enemy troop concentrations, truck convoys, bridges, gun emplacements, ammunition dumps, supply depots, strategic highway and rail junctions, command posts.