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, Bronze Star, Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Pistol Expert Medal, and Rifle Sharp Shooter Medal.
Sources: Margaret Dantonio (sister), newspaper clippings and NJVVMF.