First Sergeant James Hilley

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 First Sergeant James Whitcomb Riley Hilley was born and raised in the small towns of Calhoun Falls and Mt. Carmel, South Carolina. Named after his mother's favorite poet, James Whitcomb Riley, he grew into the kind of man remembered not only for his military service but also for his character, leadership, and devotion to his community. More than eighty years after his death, his story continues to inspire a mission that spans continents and generations.

On April 30, 1945, in the final days of World War II, James was serving with the 10th Mountain Division in northern Italy. As Allied forces pursued retreating German troops toward the end of the European campaign, James and twenty-five other soldiers boarded an amphibious vehicle known as a DUKW to transport supplies across Lake Garda near Torbole, Italy. During the crossing, the DUKW sank. Of the twenty-six soldiers aboard, only one survived. First Sergeant Hilley was among the twenty-five Americans lost beneath the waters of the lake.

Their tragedy was largely overshadowed by two other historical events on the very same day, Colonel William Darby, considered the founding father of the Army Rangers was killed in action near Torbole. In addition, Adolf Hitler took his own life, signaling the imminent end of the war in Europe. As the world celebrated victory and focused on the major events shaping history, the sacrifice of the men lost in Lake Garda faded into obscurity.

For the Hilley family, however, James was never forgotten.

His sister, Jewell Hilley Scott, spent a lifetime sharing stories of her beloved brother. She spoke of his courage, his kind heart, and the qualities that made him a respected member of his family and community. Through her memories, James remained a living part of the family long after the war had ended. Until her passing in 2021, Jewell continued telling his story and hoping that one day her brother’s remains would finally come home.

Among those deeply influenced by those stories was James's great-nephew, Matthew Hilley, Founder and President of Honor for Heroes. After returning home from service in Iraq in 2004, Matthew began researching the loss of his great uncle and the other “Soldiers of the Lake”. What started as a family quest soon became a mission dedicated to honoring all twenty-five men who remain at the bottom of Lake Garda.

The story of First Sergeant Hilley became one of the driving forces behind the creation of Honor for Heroes. In the organization's early years, efforts were made to ensure that James's legacy would be permanently recognized in his hometown. The road where his childhood home once stood was designated the First Sergeant James Hilley Memorial Highway, preserving his name for future generations. Honor for Heroes also played a key role in facilitating the transfer of the Calhoun Falls World War II Memorial property to the local American Legion, helping ensure that the memorial honoring James and other local veterans would be properly cared for and preserved.

The effort to recover James and the other Soldiers of the Lake continues today. The wreckage of the DUKW was not discovered until 2012, resting more than 900 feet beneath the surface of Lake Garda. The depth, darkness, and challenging conditions of the glacial lake have made recovery efforts extremely difficult. Working alongside the Benach Association and dedicated partners including Ben Appleby and Antonella Previdi, Honor for Heroes remains committed to finding a way forward.

While no human remains have yet been recovered, the mission continues with the hope that one day First Sergeant James Whitcomb Riley Hilley and the other “Soldiers of the Lake” will finally be brought home and honored with the dignity they earned through their service and sacrifice.

For Honor for Heroes, this is more than a historical project. It is a promise. A promise made to a sister who never stopped telling her brother's story. A promise made to a family that never forgot. And a promise that the sacrifice of First Sergeant James Whitcomb Riley Hilley and the “Soldiers of the Lake” will never again be lost to history.