Hillier survives leading 37 missions in ‘The Widowmaker’

WILLOW — Soldiers know there’s nothing one can do when their number comes up. When Frank Hillier survived the shrapnel that had his number, he saved the anti-aircraft flak, perhaps as a reminder of his reputation as being a “lucky” squadron leader, said his son, Tom Hillier.

Of the 37 missions his father led during World War II as a captain in the 9th Air Force 391st Bomb Group’s 574th Squadron, “He never expected to come home,” Tom said. “As most of the crews did, they prepared themselves for the worst.”

Flying missions over hostile enemy territory was dangerous enough, but even more so for his father and the men he commanded, Tom said. That’s because he flew the B-26 Marauder, a twin-engine bomber with a reputation for being dangerous and unpredictable. Those who crewed the B-26 aircraft called it “The Widowmaker” and the “Flying Prostitute,” he said.

“That’s because it had no visible means of support, which made it very difficult and dangerous to fly,” Tom said. He added his father “regarded that particular assignment as being his most dangerous; much more dangerous than actual combat in Europe.”

That Frank Hillier returned from 37 missions leading runs of B-26s “is truly amazing,” said his son, speaking from his home in California, where he maintains the Hillier Air Museum. Included with the eight aircraft that rotate on display, he also has a room dedicated to his father.

Frank Hillier is a familiar name to those in the northern part of the Mat-Su Borough. After enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1941 and stints at Radio Operators School and Officer Candidate School, he went to flight school and trained in the B-26. He came to Alaska in 1958 and worked at Elmendorf Air Force Base, and in 1959 made the decision that would cement him as a fixture in the Willow area.

That’s when Frank Hillier homesteaded 160 acres of land, along with some additional property where the Parks Highway is today, Tom said.

His father is now 91 — in fact, today, May 27, is his birthday — and has memory problems, along with other ailments that come with age. Recently, Frank moved away from the old homestead to join his wife, Eileen, at a Valley assisted living facility.

Like many veterans who have been part of war, Frank Hillier never liked to talk about his experiences in World War II, Tom said. That’s why it wasn’t until later in life the son would learn some of what his father survived. It’s also why Tom encourages families to learn those important stories that contribute to America’s history of freedom before they’re lost forever.

“For most veterans, as I’ve come to know it, the most difficult times are about the loss of their friends,” he said. “Their fellow crew members, their squadron members. Usually, if there was a tragic loss, you put your hand into a bunch of goo where your friend’s face was just a few moments earlier, and those are memories you can’t get over.”

For bomber pilots and their crews, there was also the mental anguish that comes with delivering mass destruction and loss of life, including to civilians.

“Those bomber crews, and the pilots especially, have to live with that,” Tom said. “My dad has told me on many occasions, with no pride and almost a tinge of remorse, ‘I killed a lot of people.’ War was quite different then. World War II was the last war we actually won, and the way they won it was completely different than how they fight wars now. That was to mass attack civilian as well as military targets. This included bombing entire cities. When you consider it, that’s what brought Germany to its knees, it’s what brought Japan (down) as well. It’s brutal and it’s terrible. When they say war is hell, these old guys know it firsthand.”

Those who survive war often refer to themselves as “lucky,” Tom said, but for Frank Hillier, he was lucky all along — at least according to his men. To prove it, Tom still has a piece of anti-aircraft flak that literally had his father’s number.

During a mission, “this piece of flak came into the cockpit and was bouncing around from one side to the other and was still smoking hot from the explosion of the projectile,” Tom said. “He picked it up and saved it and brought it home with him.”

When his father had time to examine the piece of shrapnel, he noticed some numbers printed on it, numbers that matched those in his officer serial number.

“Yes, he thought this piece of flak had his number on it, and felt lucky to have survived the mission,” his son said.

Another mission led to Frank Hillier’s reputation as being a “lucky” commander. It was Dec. 23, 1944, in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge, Germany’s last big military offensive. His father’s bomb group was assigned to hit a railroad marshalling yard at Ahrweiler, Germany.

“On this mission, the 391st bomb group was attacked viciously by the German fighters and they just decimated them,” Tom said. “I can’t recall how many aircraft were lost, including the leader. Because they rotated every mission, dad wasn’t the leader of this group.”

Those who survived limped back to base, where Frank Hillier marshaled together another 33 aircraft to attempt the mission again.

“When they got there (to the railyard), he described there was absolutely no opposition, very little flak and they hit the target,” his son said. For its efforts, the bombing group received the Distinguished Unit Citation.

“You can imagine how this continued to contribute to his reputation as being a lucky pilot,” Tom said.

After the war, his father continued to fly until both eardrums were damaged. Those who served with Frank Hillier say they owe their lives to him. In fact, the only other surviving member of his squadron continues to stay in contact.

He also always considered Willow home, Tom said. He subdivided that original homestead land, and left a personal touch each time. One subdivision includes a Hillier Road, another has Frank Way, there’s a road named for his wife and even one for his dog, Dot Way.

Although the memories aren’t always pleasant, Tom said his father “is proud of his contribution. He did his best and I’ve questioned him on that. He would say, ‘No, I didn’t do my best, but I did OK.’ I don’t know exactly what he means by that, but to anyone who was around him, OK was pretty good.”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

• Services are at 2 p.m., Sunday at the Alaska Veterans Memorial at Byer’s Lake, Mile 147.1.

• VFW Post 9365 will lead a parade from the Wasilla Post Office to the Wasilla Aurora Cemetery for a Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. People will meet at the Post Office in Wasilla at 10:15 a.m. and leave for the cemetery at 10:40 a.m.

• American Legion Post 15 in Palmer will conduct an honor ceremony at the Veterans Wall of Honor next to the Mat-Su Visitors Center, Mile 35.5 Parks Hwy., at 1 p.m.