William Martin Hinton was born on September 20, 1924, in Mahoning County, Ohio. He was the son of Charles William Hinton and Ada Gertrude Whitcomb Hinton. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on November 12, 1942. He served in the 350th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner of B-17 #42-5867 also known as 'Alice From Dallas' during World War II.

On August 17, 1943, during a mission targeting a Messerschmitt aircraft factory in Regensburg, Germany, the aircraft was hit over Belgium, leading to its crash near Genk. Two crew members perished, three were captured as prisoners of war, and five escaped with assistance from Belgian resistance groups, returning to England through the Comet Line, a network aiding Allied service members in evading Nazi capture.

Sgt Hinton was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de Liège, Liège, Belgium.

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