World War II Honoree

Jacob J. Hill

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 1ST LIEUTENANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY MARCH 19, 1940 AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. SERVED IN EUROPE AS A PLATOON LEADER ASSIGNED TO F-COMPANY, 2ND COMMANDO RANGER BATTALION, NICKNAMED ‘RUDDER’S RANGERS’, 75TH RANGER REGIMENT. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY, D-DAY TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944, THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD IN WHICH HE WAS KILLED. THE RANGERS LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH WITH THE FIRST WAVE, GOING ASHORE AT 06:30 HOURS WITH THE 5TH RANGER BATTALION, THE 1ST AND 29TH INFANTRY DIVISIONS. HIS BATTALION’S OBJECTIVE WAS TO SCALE THE 100-FOOT CLIFFS AT POINTE-DU-HOC, SEIZE AND DESTROY A BATTERY OF GERMAN 155MM ARTILLERY CANNONS THAT WERE AIMED AT UTAH BEACH. HE WAS BURIED IN THE TEMPORARY OMAHA BEACH CEMETERY AND AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY IN OHIO, WITH INTERMENT IN A PRIVATE CEMETERY. A MONUMENT, ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF FRANCE STANDS ON A CLIFF OVERLOOKING OMAHA BEACH WAS DEDICATED TO COMMEMORATE AND HONOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE 2ND RANGER BATTALION FOR THEIR EXTREME BRAVERY AND SACRIFICES IN THE BATTLE OF POINTE-DU-HOC. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: HIS BATTALION WAS AWARDED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH SILVER-GILT STAR FOR EXCEPTIONAL VALOR AND HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES ON OMAHA BEACH.