After his graduation from the University of Oklahoma, he entered active duty as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 12 July 1917.

[1] After attending flight school at the Naval Coastal Air Station in Cape May, New Jersey, Hill served as one of the Marine Corps' first aviators.

In 1918, he served as a pilot with the 1st Marine Aeronautic Company, flying seaplane patrols in the Azores.

[3] In 1933, he was posted overseas to Haiti, where he served as the quartermaster and paymaster director for the Garde d'Haiti.

Hill Award was established in 1985 to improve food service operation and recognize the best messes in the Marine Corps.