The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Corporal William N. Hill, United States Marine Corps, for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight while serving with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR (HMM-364), Marine Aircraft Group Sixteen, First Marine Aircraft Wing in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 4 January 1970, Corporal Hill launched as Crew Chief aboard the lead aircraft in a flight of two CH-46 transport helicopters assigned the emergency medical evacuation of two casualties from a Marine unit located on a mountain ridge in the Que Son Mountains in Quang Nam Province. After the first extraction attempt was aborted because of the intensity of hostile fire which damaged the aircraft and wounded the corpsman on board, the ground unit was directed to move the medical evacuees to a more secure position while the flight proceeded to An Hoa. Following the debarkation of the wounded corpsman, a reinforced metal litter was obtained to replace the jungle penetrator and the starboard passenger door was removed to facilitate the evacuation of the casualties. Upon his flight’s return to the embattled Marines, Corporal Hill, undaunted by the heavy volume of enemy fire directed at his aircraft, ably provided a continuous flow of vital clearance information as he skillfully guided his helicopter to a hover seventy five feet above the pick-up site, lowered the litter to the ground, and carefully hoisted the wounded Marine to the doorway of the CH-46. Due to the malfunction of an arm assembly on the side hoist boom, it proved impossible to move the litter, in which the patient was strapped, through the doorway. Informing his pilot of the situation, Corporal Hill cleared his pilot to leave the dangerous area. While en route to An Hoa with the patient suspended in the litter beneath the boom hoist outside the aircraft, Corporal Hill saw the Marine begin to slip out of the litter. Reacting instantly, he requested his pilot to reduce the airspeed and then, completely disregarding his own safety, he laid down on the deck, extended the upper part of his body out of the doorway, grabbed the arms of the medical evacuee, and fearlessly remained in his precarious position during the remainder of the flight to the base. The second casualty was acquired and flown toward An Hoa suspended below the side boom hoist, but when the straps binding the patient to the litter began to come apart approximately one mile from the base, Corporal Hill notified the pilot of his situation and boldly extended himself once again far outside the CH-46, wrapped his arms around the wounded Marine, and held him in place while his aircraft was autorotated to a safe landing at the end of the runway. Corporal Hill’s courage, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty at great personal risk were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.