Raymond Dwayne Hill II was born on 14 April 1966, the son of Raymond Dwayne Hill, Sr. and Anita Yvonne Edwards Hill.

Raised in Ceres, CA, an agricultural center in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, Ray competed in track at Ceres High School where he graduated in 1985. He joined the Army National Guard in 1987 and went off to Basic Training.

His graduation from Basic Training was a proud moment for both father and son. “He was proud to have the only dad sitting there in the front with a military uniform on and I was so happy to see him up there,” his father, Raymond, said. Raymond encouraged his son to pursue the military and work his way up the ranks. In joining the Army National Guard, Ray became the fourth generation in his family to serve in the military. His father, a First Sergeant, was in the Army National Guard, serving in the same regiment that Ray would be with years later. His grandfather served in World War II and his great-grandfather served in World War I.

Ray married, earned a Bachelor's degree from California State - Stanislaus and went to work as an Engineer Technician with the Modesto Irrigation District. But he never left the Guard.

After 10 years, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and later developed a reputation as a strong advocate for soldiers under his command. He put in many volunteer hours, often after working a full day at his civilian job, to ensure that members of his unit received training, benefits and awards.

Hill's unit, the California Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, did a first Middle East tour in 2001, heading to Kuwait after terrorists struck New York and the Pentagon.

Captain Hill deployed to Iraq in January 2005 as a Fire Support and Public Affairs Officer with the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment. As a Fire Support Officer, CPT Hill commanded 36 soldiers who directed artillery fire and close air support.

On 29 October 2005, Hill was on his way to deliver educational supplies and humanitarian aid to Iraqis affected by military operations. On that day, CPT Hill and another guardsman were killed when a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near their Humvee in southern Baghdad. Hill’s unit operated in a heavily Sunni Muslim area that had been a hotspot of insurgent attacks and the blast followed raids earlier that day that had netted 39 suspected insurgents in the area.

Three officers of the 184th Infantry Regiment were fatally wounded in IED attacks in a single week, including Hill and Colonel William Wesley Wood [Honoree Record ID 5660], the highest-ranking commander killed in the Iraqi war.

Burial

Captain Raymond Dwayne Hill II is buried at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson, Stanislaus County, CA.