William B. Hamacher was born on July 11, 1949. His home of record is Gloucester, NJ. He graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School in 1967. He had planned on becoming a teacher.

Hamacher was a soprano horn soloist in the Vagabonds Drum and Bugle Corps and enjoyed baseball, weightlifting and school plays.

Billy enlisted in the US Marine Corps, 1st Division in July 1968, a month after graduating from high school and a year after his cousin, John Rodgers of Gloucester City, died in Vietnam. Hamacher attained the rank of Private First Class (PFC) and was a gun team leader.

Hamacher was killed in action during an ambush in Vietnam on May 22, 1968. Hamacher is buried in the New St. Mary’s Cemetery, 515 W. Browning Road in Bellmawr, NJ.

He was awarded the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Pistol Expert Medal, and the Rifle Sharp Shooter Medal.

Sources: Margaret Dantonio (sister), newspaper clippings and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024