Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles about the history of Hill Air Force Base and the people who worked there.

HILL AIR FORCE BASE - The mid-twentieth century was, to say the least, turbulent. It was five short years from the end of World War II to the beginning of the Korean War and only two years from the end of that conflict to the start of the Vietnam War, which would last over the next two decades.

With the start of the atomic age following the end of World War II, stakes were raised even higher the world over. Not only was there always the threat of a surprise attack by hostile powers, but, with the wider spread of atomic weapons, a surprise attack could come at any time, any place, and would be completely devastating for years to come.

To counteract at least some of this threat, Air Force Plant 77 was constructed at Hill Air Force Base, in which Boeing was tasked with constructing the new Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).  The development of these ICBMs would continue at Hill until 1978, a full year after the end of the Vietnam War. 

The 1960s also saw the retrofitting, repair and deployment of many significant aircraft that would see action in Southeast Asia. From the dusting off and retrofitting of the WWII-era B26 into the B26K, to recognizable period aircraft like F-4C Phantom II, F-111A Aardvark, F-101 Voodoo, and C-141, Hill had a significant role in supporting troops on the ground, and in the sky during the 1960s.

This decade also saw service from a very significant commanding officer of the Ogden Air Materiel Area, General Kenneth Hobson. Though General Hobson was a Major General upon taking command of the Ogden Air Material Area, through his service, he achieved the highest rank possible in the United States Air Force during his time, and his keen mind clearly shows why. 

General Hobson was instrumental in bringing the Minuteman ICBM mission and plant to Hill Air Force Base, which, during its time, employed hundreds of local residents in the plant. Not only that, but, because of the Minuteman system, Hill became the primary depot maintenance for the weapon system, which continues to employ people to this day.

According to Jonathan F. Bingham, Historian for the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill Air Force Base, General Hobson’s bringing this mission to the base had more far-reaching effects. Bingham cites General Hobson’s intervention to keep to Base operational today because of its role in repair and maintenance. 

Because of the massive infrastructure put in place by General Hobson, which carried over into Nuclear Warfare maintenance, Hill was spared closure during the Base Realignment and Closure Commission of the 1990s and has continued to provide employment to thousands in the region for decades. 

General Hobson’s legacy, including the thousands employed by the missions he helped bring to the base, is still remembered in many ways on the base itself. Just one example would be the Hobson House. The old Ogden Arsenal headquarters building, which is now used as the Distinguished Visitors Quarters, is named after him and carries his name into the current century.