Undeterred: The Story of a Cape May Hero, Edwin J. Hill, and the Attack on Pearl Harbor

By Deborah Fritz

Diving into boiling hot water covered with oil, a hero responds. He freed the battleship USS Nevada from her berth during the Pearl Harbor attack. If it were not for Chief Bos’n Edwin J. Hill’s quick action, the USS Nevada’s run for the sea would never have occurred. She was the only battleship to sortie.
Edwin J. Hill’s Irish roots lie in Cape May, New Jersey, the country’s first seaside resort. He resided at the renowned Windsor Hotel.. Mr. Hill met his beautiful wife in Ireland during World War I. They raised their children in the Philadelphia area and then onto Long Beach, California, as World War II loomed.
Mr. Hill was three months from retirement when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. Sacrificing all for his country, Mr. Hill was a true hero that day. He freed the battleship he was aboard and gave his life to save many others. Chief Bos’n Hill was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663231741

Deborah Fritz

Deborah Fritz resides with her husband and two daughters. Her neighbor’s wife asked her to write this book. She said it is a story about a hero which needs to be told. The hero in the book is Deborah’s neighbor’s uncle. Sadly, this neighbor went to be with the Lord before this book was completed.

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Copyright © 2022 Deborah Fritz.

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ISBN: 978-1-6632-3175-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-3174-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021923127

iUniverse rev. date: 03/23/2022

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Epilogue

Appendix

Glossary

Acknowledgments

Recommended Reading

Notes

Bibliography

In memory of

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David B. Hill, who passed away on April 12, 2020.

Photo courtesy of Patria Garde-Hill.

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William Charles Bill Furey, who passed away on June 30, 2021.

Photo courtesy of Amy Hopkins Furey.

FOREWORD

Edwin Joseph Hill was undoubtedly the crown prince of the Hill family. Despite his frequent absences, he was idolized by his sisters and envied by his brothers, some of whom had significant success in the business world.

Having experienced incoming in Vietnam on nearly a daily basis for twelve months, reacting and responding in a Huey gunship in one of the least popular engagements since World War II, I can appreciate the tactical gift the Japanese planners and naval tacticians gave us by uniting our diverse, isolationist country and unleashing our vast industrial might on that infamous day in December 1941.

As numerous members of the Japanese Imperial Navy’s US-educated bureaucracy well knew, our ability to mobilize, industrialize, unite, and produce, over time, would eventually guarantee Allied success. The luxury of a united USA home front has, unfortunately, not been replicated in recent decades of increased political and ideological polarization.

As the author develops in her running narrative, our greatest Pearl Harbor loss was not the sunk and heavily damaged Pacific Fleet capital ships but the combat casualties. To the experienced senior enlisted and officer communities, going to war not with the navy you want but with the navy you’ve got, minus a large element of experienced surface warfare old hands, makes it tough.

As history, the attack on Pearl Harbor will forever remain of interest to all who study key world events that continue to shape the present in many ways. The human tragedy of loss and grief as families come to grips with the reality of war is a constant in these pages, which blend fact with fiction to usher us into times that younger generations won’t understand or recognize in these days of smartphones and social media.

War is hell, as the saying goes, and we should all remember why it is incumbent upon us all to do what we can to ensure peace in a stable world.

Commander Edwin M. Furey, USN Ret.

Office in Charge, Helicopter Light Attack

Squadron Three (HAL-3) Seawolves Det. Seven, 1968

PREFACE

One December night in 2018, I was visiting my neighbor Pat. As we sat together over steaming mugs of tea, we started to talk about her husband, David. Pat told me his uncle was a Pearl Harbor hero. I started taking notes. Pat asked me if I would write a book about David’s uncle, Edwin Joseph Hill. I was honored. The idea of writing a book about a Cape May native, who happened to be among the first American casualties as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, intrigued me enough to agree to pursue the project.

I began researching Edwin Hill and found quite a bit of information. Pat gave me the address of Commander Edwin Furey, and I wrote to him. He responded and told me his brother William (Bill) is more of the family historian. Commander Furey sent me a blog written by William Kelly. Kelly’s blog provided much information for this book. In May 2019, Pat, David, my husband, and I visited Bill and his wife, Amy, in Cape May. David and Bill had an opportunity to catch up as cousins. Bill and Amy offered us a plethora of information about Edwin Hill.

I gradually met more of the Hill family. Each one offered unique perspectives. I met Patricia Tiegan, Edwin Hill’s granddaughter. Then I met Ed Hill, David and Bill’s cousin, who sent me wonderful photos and additional information. Other family members who helped were James and Peter Hill, introduced to me by Emily Brown, Edwin Hill’s great-great-niece.

In this book, I interwove fiction with nonfiction. Fictionalizing some aspects of Edwin’s story simply gave me the liberty to embellish when I lacked actual facts to work with. I wanted to get into his state of mind before and during the battle that ultimately cost him his life in the line of duty on a day when many heroes were sadly made. Additionally, I decided to tell much of the story through Edwin’s point of view, almost as if I succeeded in bringing him back for a chat over coffee at the kitchen table.

While the focus is mostly on Edwin and the story of the USS Nevada, the narrative does cover the key points of the attack on Pearl Harbor to put Edwin’s story in the greater context of such a historic event. The story certainly is not an all-inclusive account of that infamous day; rather, it attempts to provide a picture of a hero and his ship, the USS Nevada.

PROLOGUE

Edwin Joseph Hill stood on the beach in Cape May, New Jersey, just as the sun was setting. The beautiful orange, yellow, and pink sunset painted the sky. He was mesmerized by the whitecaps on the sea as he watched the low surf roll in from the Atlantic. A ship in full sail was out on the horizon. Coastal schooners continued to carry bulk cargoes from quarries in the granite state of Maine down the coast and on up Delaware Bay to the City of Brotherly Love.

As he reveled in the serenity of the moment, it struck him that God was ever present. In an inkling, it occurred to him that God might have a special destiny in store for him, though he had no idea what it might be. Edwin treasured that time, almost becoming one with the water. The sea was his soul. Within the tranquility, he shared his joys, his fears, and his sad times with his God. He felt so small, yet he knew he would make a difference and help others.

Cape May flowed in his blood. Both his paternal and maternal grandparents had emigrated from Ireland and chosen that alluring shore town to settle in. His family had established their roots and grown connections there.

Edwin’s reverie was broken when his younger brother David called out to him, Hey, Eddie, let’s build a sandcastle! The five brothers—Edwin, David, John, Francis, and William—quickly joined in the construction of a mighty sandcastle. The boys built a moat and a large protective wall of packed sand in an attempt to keep the incoming tide from knocking it down. As Edwin imagined knights on horses trotting up the sand-packed drawbridge, their mother called, Boys, time for dinner! Don’t forget to wash! Now! Fried flounder—your favorite!

*        *        *

Reveille sounded at 0530 on December 7, 1941, rousing Chief Boatswain Edwin Hill from his bunk aboard the USS Nevada. Yawning and stretching as he got out of bed and dressed for the day, he anticipated nothing more than the usual quiet Sunday. He made his way to the mess hall for chow, a hearty meal of eggs, toast, and orange juice. After he finished eating, he grabbed a cup of mess hall coffee. Then he headed up to the top deck and pulled out his binoculars. His eyes focused on the USS Pennsylvania, the flag ship. Chief Boatswain Hill closely watched the colors she was flying. Then he blew his boatswain’s pipe.

The American flag was being hoisted, and the marine band started playing The Star-Spangled Banner. Chief Boatswain Hill stood at attention as the colors were raised. In the distance, however, a droning sound from the southwest grew more pronounced with every passing minute. Edwin looked in that direction and cocked his neck as he strained to listen over the music.

Edwin had planned to attend Mass on the aft deck after colors, but suddenly, there was a loud rat-a-tat-tat. This was certainly not a drill! He looked up in time to see a red circle on the bottom of a Japanese Kate torpedo bomber. The pilot was visible, as he was flying so low. Chief Boatswain Hill heard the frantic voice of Ensign Joseph Taussig over the loudspeaker: General quarters! General quarters! This was the real thing.

Chief Boatswain Hill and Boatswain’s Mate First Class Solar gathered some of the wide-eyed privates standing in shock. They were only teenagers. Chief Boatswain Hill ordered them to stand behind the turrets. He knew they were terrified. They had never seen so many planes. Chief Boatswain Hill had never seen so many planes either, and at that moment, he knew the world had forever changed—and not for the better.

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CHAPTER 1

N o hero springs from the soil fully