Raymond Hine was born on August 21, 1920, in Ohio. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Corps on March 17, 1941, and was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his pilot wings at Kelly Field, Texas, in December 1941. After completing additional training he was assigned to the 339th Fighter Squadron of the 347th Fighter Group as a P-38 Lightning pilot in the Southwest Pacific Area. Lt Hine participated as one of the P-38 pilots on Operation Vengeance, the mission to shoot down the airplane carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, on April 18, 1943, for which he would be awarded the Navy Cross. His aircraft did not return from the mission and he was officially listed as Missing in Action until being declared dead one year later on April 19, 1944. Lt Hine's remains were declared unrecoverable, as it is believed he went down in the ocean, and he has a cenotaph at Glen Haven Cemetery in Harrison, Ohio, and another at Saint Joseph Valley Memorial Park in Mishawaka, Indiana. He may have shot down at least 1 enemy aircraft on his final mission, but was never officially credited with that air victory.

His Navy Cross Citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as Pilot of a P-38 fighter airplane in the 339th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, THIRTEENTH Air Force, U.S. Army Air Forces, attached to a Marine Fighter Command in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on 18 April 1943. Lieutenant Hine participated in a Lightning fighter attack to Bougainville on a special interception mission. This mission was the longest planned fighter interception ever completed, consisting of a 494 mile, low-altitude, indirect approach to the estimated position of the enemy formation, which was located with faultless precision, achieving complete tactical surprise. The enemy force consisted of two bombers escorted by six fighters and the coordination, calculated attack of our aircraft not only destroyed in flames the primary target, the heavy bombers, but accounted for a confirmed total of six enemy aircraft. Lieutenant Hine flew win on First Lieutenant Besby Holmes in the attacking section of the flight, and stayed in formation with him in spite of the fact that Lieutenant Holmes experienced di!iculty in dropping his wing tank when the enemy formation was first sighted. Together they attacked the Zeroes pursuing Lieutenant Barber, and broke up their attack. Together they attacked and helped to destroy a third enemy bomber flying low over the water near Koila Point, which was finally exploded by Lieutenant Barber. They then engaged a number of Zeros, and it appears that Lieutenant Hine accounted for one of three shot down during this stage of the engagement. At about that time his left engine was observed to be smoking, and he was last seen losing altitude south of Shortland Island and since has been missing in action. Lieutenant Hine by his firm courage, flying skill, faultless air discipline contributed largely to the perfect timing and teamwork which were the prerequisites of success.