Richmond Hamilton was born in October 1921 in Richmond, Virginia. His father was self-employed as a paper wholesaler and his mother did not work. He remembers his childhood as being a "pleasant, safe" environment where boys hitchhiked everywhere, even to and from school. He recounts that the Great Depression didn't have that much an effect on his family due to his father being self-employed although his father did lose some stocks and as a result never purchased any again, but the overall impact to the family was minimal. There were good schools in Richmond. There were only two high schools at the time but both being very good. As he recalls, there wasn't a lot of interest in world events, a fact he attributes to high school boys having other interests. He was attending William and Mary [Annotator's Note: the College of William and Mary, a public university in Williamsburg, Virginia] when he heard the news of the Pearl Harbor attack. He remembers being impressed by how quickly and completely the country shifted to a war footing, and that the entire attitude of the nation shifted towards doing whatever was necessary to defend the country. For college students such as himself, he states that most were not inclined to use their deferments. Most, like Hamilton, didn't want to wait to join the military. He knew that he wanted to be a Naval Aviator due to the fact that he already had a connection to aviation. He already had his pilot's license when the war began. He traveled to the recruiting office in Washington, D. C. because he was very concerned that he be able to secure a guaranteed slot in aviation. He explained his background to the recruiter, who was very interested in him due to his college and aviation experience. He was administered an aptitude test on the spot, which he passed. He was then told he would be accepted into the aviation program and he left college thereafter. His father was not especially pleased about his son going off to war but understood the country's needs and expected him to do his part.

Richmond Hamilton characterizes his aviation training as very thorough and shares a pair of anecdotes illustrating this point. In the first story, he describes traveling to the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, where he and his fellow students were taken to a large swimming pool where they expected to be required to demonstrate their swimming ability. A self-described strong swimmer, Hamilton was nonetheless concerned about a sinus condition he suffered that was exacerbated by exposure to fresh or chlorinated water. He approached a doctor about this and after an examination the doctor told him he had a deviated septum and it would need to be corrected or he'd never be able to fly. He had the procedure performed and described the difference as "night and day," which surprised him since his father had suffered the same condition, had surgery to correct it, but it didn't improve his symptoms. Hamilton continued his training at the University of Virginia, Colgate University, and the University of South Carolina, describing each location as taking some three months and consisting of athletic training, studies, and military training. The training was designed to produce good pilots and gentlemen. Following this period, he entered primary flight training, where he flew a yellow biplane. [Annotator's Note: The N3N biplane, the standard Navy primary training aircraft at the time. Painted bright yellow and flown by neophyte pilots, they were nicknamed the "Yellow Peril".] His second anecdote discusses a flight he took with two other pilots; he and the others were "graduates" and allowed to take the planes flying without instructors. They carried a mechanic in the seat normally occupied by the second pilot. The trio managed to get lost and Hamilton became worried, knowing that if they did't return on time or had anything out of the ordinary happen, they'd be washed out of flight training and he had committed his life to the goal of becoming a Navy pilot. He made the decision to land in a nearby field and ask a farmer for directions to Memphis, the area from which they had taken off, as the other two airplanes circled overhead. The farmer gave him directions, but he was unable to take back off from the field due to it being too rough. He then enlisted the aid of the farmer and the mechanic and managed to position the airplane in an adjacent field that was smoother. He took off and led the other two planes back to their base without further incident. Knowing the consequences if his activity was ever discovered, he and the other pilots and mechanics never said a thing. In his words, "I got away with it," but he knows full well how hazardous a situation he had created for himself and his mechanic passenger.

Richmond Hamilton's advanced flight training as very orderly and thorough. Each step in the process was very explicit and they always knew what was expected of them. Hamilton was sent to Chicago, Illinois, to begin aircraft carrier landing training aboard USS Wolverine (IX-64). He was originally sent there as part of a group of four aviators, the intent being that they would all train together and later be assigned to the same squadron. Three days into their training, one of the other pilots crash-landed while practicing landings on the field and the other two were sent elsewhere. Hamilton remained in Chicago for another month, which he described as frustrating since it added time to his overall training pipeline. He eventually was sent to DeLand, Florida, by which time he had married so his wife accompanied him. When he first arrived, he was told that he would have to live on base in bachelor's quarters, but since he knew the Commanding Officer of the base he was able to arrange to live off base instead. His next duty station was in Chincoteague, Virginia, where he was assigned to a squadron that was due to be assigned to the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42). As he describes it, the ship was still being built and the base had very limited facilities. He once had to fly up to Patuxent River, Maryland to get groceries. Hamilton was flying Corsairs [Annotator's note: Vought F4U Corsair fighter aircraft] and that training at this point included night landing aboard ship, which he describes as being nascent, the Navy was new to this element of aviation. During carrier landing practice, a mechanic was stationed at the end of the runway to warn pilots if they had forgotten to lower their landing gear. This happened to Hamilton once and his flaps and propellor struck the ground. Fortunately, he was able to climb back out and land the airplane. His engine was damaged, but the procedure at the time was simply to replace it. It was easier and cheaper than trying to repair it.

Richmond Hamilton describes squadron life as his first exposure to an integrated unit where he had real responsibilities. Up until this time he had been a student. He was assigned as the squadron [Annotator's Note: Fighting Squadron 75 (VF-75) flying from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42)] Safety Officer, responsible for all manner of equipment, procedures, etc. For Hamilton, it was good to be a part of an organization that was part of the larger effort. The war ended before his squadron was deployed. He was disappointed that he was not able to put to use all of the training and preparation that he had undergone. This disappointment was passing, he recognized the destructive nature of war, and that the country needed him and he was prepared. Circumstances prevented him from actually fighting. With the war over, he was eager to return to his civilian life and go back to work in his father's business. He was also married with a pregnant wife and they wanted to return to a more traditional lifestyle. Hamilton's most memorable experiences were those when his squadron would fly out from Chincoteague, Virginia and spend time on the aircraft carrier practicing operations, to include more and more training in night flying and landing. Despite all of the training, it remained dangerous. On his very first night at sea, one of the other pilots crashed and they never learned as to why. Hamilton enjoyed the camaraderie of squadron life and that while they all felt it was certain that the United States was going to win the war, it would nonetheless be a tough fight. Everyone was doing something in support of the war, including women working in many nontraditional jobs and roles. He feels satisfied that he had the opportunity to be a part of the entire effort. He comments that today the country has a professional military and that as a consequence we don't feel as connected to the military as a whole. He feels that after two generations have passed, there's "not much memory" of the war and what it was about. He describes World War 2 as a "war of necessity" from which we must learn, lest we repeat painful lessons.