Ralph Hill was born on July 28, 1937, in Naylor, Missouri. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 11, 1956, and after completing Basic Training he attended the U.S. Army Artillery and Guided Missile School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, graduating in April 1957. SP4 Hill then served as an Atomic Warhead Assembler and Heavy Rocket Crewman with Support Company 3d U.S. Army Materiel Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, until his honorable discharge from the Army on January 7, 1959. Ralph Hill died on October 9, 2020, and was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Lemay, Missouri.

The Soldier's Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.