Jack W. Hill
Encyclopedia
Jack Warner Hill was a member of the United States Marine Corps
who bears the distinction of holding Marine Corps enlisted service number
one million (1,000,000). Hill served a total of two enlistments in the Marine Corps, one during World War II
and the other briefly before the outbreak of the Korean War
. After his military service, Hill lived a normal and uneventful life; he was killed in an automobile accident in the year 1987.
and during a time period when the United States Marine Corps was heavily engaged in several bloody battles in the Pacific Ocean
. The issuance of the one millionth Marine Corps service number was a sensation in the media and was reported by several major newspapers, including The New York Times
.
Hill's induction into the Marines later became something of a scandal as it was revealed that the induction board which had drafted
him had done so without a check into his background, based on verbal statements only from Hill and his parents. It was then discovered that Hill had made false statements to the induction board and was only sixteen at the time he was drafted. The Marine Corps quietly discharged him in December 1944 after only five months of service.
Hill's final rank was that of Corporal
and his only military decorations were the National Defense Service Medal
(NDSM) and the World War II Victory Medal
. Both of these medals were never presented to Hill during his service, but were considered "automatic" due to the time periods in which he served - the World War II Victory Medal for service between 1941 and 1946 and the NDSM for service after June 27, 1950 during the era of the Korean War
. Hill in fact only qualified for the National Defense Service Medal by three days of service as he was discharged on June 30, 1950.
Edgar Patrick Wibbenmeyer, who was issued #1,020,001 on 11 August 1945. Even this claim is slightly dubious, however, since between 1920 and 1940, the Marine Corps left approximately forty thousand service numbers un-issued, meaning that the "true" one millionth service number would be slightly higher than #1,060,000.
Hill was also never the one millionth Marine, as some of the newspapers referred to him by, since the Marine Corps had been in existence for over a century and a half before Hill's entry, with service number 1,000,000 simply the result of the service number system invented in 1920.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who bears the distinction of holding Marine Corps enlisted service number
Service number (United States Marine Corps)
United States Marine Corps service numbers were created in 1920, the same year as Navy service numbers, and were modeled after the same design.-Marine Corps officer numbers:...
one million (1,000,000). Hill served a total of two enlistments in the Marine Corps, one during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the other briefly before the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. After his military service, Hill lived a normal and uneventful life; he was killed in an automobile accident in the year 1987.
First Induction and Enlistment Scandal
Hill was issued his number upon induction into the Marine Corps on July 8, 1944, at the height of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and during a time period when the United States Marine Corps was heavily engaged in several bloody battles in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The issuance of the one millionth Marine Corps service number was a sensation in the media and was reported by several major newspapers, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Hill's induction into the Marines later became something of a scandal as it was revealed that the induction board which had drafted
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
him had done so without a check into his background, based on verbal statements only from Hill and his parents. It was then discovered that Hill had made false statements to the induction board and was only sixteen at the time he was drafted. The Marine Corps quietly discharged him in December 1944 after only five months of service.
Second Enlistment
Hill reenlisted on October 17, 1946, now truly at eighteen years of age, and served three and a half years of duty before being discharged a second time in June 1950. During his second enlistment, he held his previous service number of one million, although the post-World War II media took little interest.Hill's final rank was that of Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
and his only military decorations were the National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
(NDSM) and the World War II Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
. Both of these medals were never presented to Hill during his service, but were considered "automatic" due to the time periods in which he served - the World War II Victory Medal for service between 1941 and 1946 and the NDSM for service after June 27, 1950 during the era of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Hill in fact only qualified for the National Defense Service Medal by three days of service as he was discharged on June 30, 1950.
The One Millionth Marine
Although Hill is cited in Marine Corps history as holding service number one million, the honor of actually holding the one millionth service number technically falls to #1,020,001 since Marine enlisted service numbers start at #20,001. The actual holder of the one millionth Marine enlisted service number was Private First ClassPrivate First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
Edgar Patrick Wibbenmeyer, who was issued #1,020,001 on 11 August 1945. Even this claim is slightly dubious, however, since between 1920 and 1940, the Marine Corps left approximately forty thousand service numbers un-issued, meaning that the "true" one millionth service number would be slightly higher than #1,060,000.
Hill was also never the one millionth Marine, as some of the newspapers referred to him by, since the Marine Corps had been in existence for over a century and a half before Hill's entry, with service number 1,000,000 simply the result of the service number system invented in 1920.
Source
- Marine Corps Historical Center, 1254 Charles Morris Street S.E., Washington, DC 20374-5040