HILL AIR FORCE BASE—Residents driving I-15 in Northern Utah have likely passed by Hill Air Force Base many times, perhaps they’ve even visited the adjacent museum, or seen the airshow, but a select few know the amazing history that has occurred in its 80 years of existence. With over eight decades of history, there have been some amazing things that have happened on that base, and amazing people that have taken part in writing this nation’s history.

That’s exactly what this series of articles will be about, and focus on: the history of Hill Air Force Base itself, from the 1940s to the present, but moreover, it will highlight the people that served there from the start to the present. Through these articles, readers will get a glimpse at the lives of the amazing men and women who have served right in their own backyards.

Hill Air Force Base opened as Hill Field on Nov. 1, 1940, just one year before the United States Entered World War II. By this time, hostilities in both Europe and the Pacific were already underway, and by the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, it was clear just how useful Hill Field would be. 

That usefulness would carry over from year-to-year, conflict to conflict, as thousands of military personnel, as well as civilian employees, put in their best effort with the countless number of aircraft that passed through the base, from B-17s to F-35s and everything in between. 

But what exactly do they do at Hill? While the operations are varied, and include many of the same things you’d find at other bases across the country, Hill Air Force Base is unique in a big way, explained Base Historian Jonathan Bingham. While every Air Force unit has basic repair capabilities, when things go beyond that level, they call Hill.

The best way to think of it, explained Bingham was almost like home repair. Most people can do a few things for home repair, fixing a leaky faucet, patching a hole in the wall, or things like that, for larger renovations, most people call in an expert. The same sort of thing goes for the aircraft that come through Hill Air force Base, and the people working there do an outstanding job of it.

They do their jobs “to a level you would not believe possible,” said Bingham, and that’s the exact sort of thing readers can expect from the Hill History series in the Davis Journal. Each article will focus on a different decade, and take a look at some influential people that were either stationed there, or were working there during that time. 

Of course, with thousands of civilians currently employed on the base, and over 80 years of history, there won’t be enough time or space to cover everyone that made a difference, but it’s the hope that these few examples will be representative of the thousands that have served and that their example will be an inspiration to those who hear their stories for the first time.