Vernon Lance Hamilton was born on October 3, 1925, in Gallatin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Robert Hamilton and Dorothy Ann Kirtley Hamilton. He completed four years of high school and worked as a salesman before joining the Army Air Corps Reserve in Greensboro, North Carolina, on October 13, 1943, at age 17. Eager to serve, he chose to leave immediately after his birthday. During his stateside training, he was assigned to several bases, including Florence, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Keesler Field, Mississippi; Selfridge Field, Florida; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Hunter Field in Savannah, Georgia. He served in the 642nd Bomber Squadron, 409th Bomber Group, Light, as a Sergeant and Gunner of A-26B #43-22353 during World War II.

On March 21, 1945, A-26B Invader 43-22353, assigned to the 642nd Bombardment Squadron (Light), 409th Bombardment Group (Light), was flying in the same formation en route to strike the rail hub at Dülmen. When the leading aircraft (43-22359) was hit by intense flak, the resulting explosion tore apart part of its wing, sending debris and shrapnel into the path of 43-22353. The fragments damaged the engine nacelle and critical control surfaces, causing a rapid loss of power and control authority. With no altitude to recover and no opportunity for the crew to bail out, the aircraft went into an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Hülsten-Holtkämpe, approximately 5.5 km southeast of Reken, killing all on board.

In 2016, German researcher Adolph Hagedorn identified a site in Hülsten-Reken that matched his aircraft, leading to excavations that recovered aircraft wreckage, personal effects, and possible human remains. Hamilton's remains were identified through mitochondrial DNA, dental, and anthropological analysis. He is honored on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, where a rosette will mark his accounting. He is now buried in the Monongahela Cemetery, Monongahela, Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.army.mil, www.fieldsofhonor-database.com