Hilbert Margol was the eldest of twin boys born on February 22, 1924, to a Jewish family in Jacksonville, Florida. The Margols ran a clothing store in Jacksonville's Black business district, and Hilbert played football in middle and high school. Hilbert was a senior in high school when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered World War II.

He and his twin, Howard, enrolled in ROTC at the University of Florida, but their time in college was interrupted when their Army Reserve Unit was called to active duty in April 1943. Briefly assigned to separate units, Hilbert and Howard were reunited after President Roosevelt responded to a plea from their mother. Together, the Margols served in combat as artillery gunners in France and Germany. Their unit, part of the 42nd "Rainbow" Infantry Division, arrived weeks after the Battle of the Bulge. They also participated in the liberation of Dachau on April 29, 1945.

After the war ended in Europe, they served as a part of the Army of Occupation near Salzburg, Austria. There, they were responsible for transporting survivors of the Ebensee subcamp of Mauthausen concentration camp to a convalescent facility in Bad Gastein, Austria. In Austria, Hilbert also played football as a running back in the 42nd Infantry Division football squad. The training camp was also located in Bad Gastein.

Hilbert and Howard returned home with the rank of Private First Class in April 1946. Hilbert married his wife, Betty Ann, in 1948. After the war, the brothers built a furniture business together and settled in Georgia, where Howard lived until his death in 2017. Six years later, Hilbert shared his story with the Museum of History and Holocaust Education for the Legacy Series.