He was born a preacher's kid in eastern Kentucky. He was a young boy when a plane landed one day at a local airstrip and his dad arranged for a flight. That's when Bill Hampton realized that flying was what he wanted to do with his life. To pursue his dream, he enlisted in the Army. Service in the Korean War was followed by officer candidate school and assignment to the Armor Branch. Bill convinced his commanders that he could best serve his country from the air and he soon found himself in Army Aviation. Flying disaster relief missions in Taiwan, serving as one of President Eisenhower's helicopter pilots, providing aviation support for the exploration of Antarctica, and commanding an aviation depot facility in South Vietnam are all testaments to Bill Hampton's leadership and aviation skills. A natural pilot and a committed professional who enjoyed the challenges provided by flight, he was nonetheless focused on his family and, together with his wife Martha, raised two sons whom he inspired to become pilots. Bill Hampton blended the spirit of flight with a sense of adventure—all encompassed in a wonderful sense of humor. He flies today, at a higher altitude, in a better place. We miss him.