Hyacinth W. Dooley Jr.

Rank: Private, U.S. Army

Serial: 32810525

Unit: 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill’s Marauders)

Entered service from: New Jersey

Died: June 6, 1944

Burial: Missing in Action or Buried at Sea — Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines

Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart

Private Hyacinth William Dooley Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 3, 1923, the fourth of at least seven children. His parents, Hyacinth J. and Mary Morrissey Dooley, were Irish immigrants, having come to America shortly before World War I. At the time of the 1930 Census the Dooley family lived at 473 17th Street in Brooklyn NY.

Hyacinth Dooley was living in New Jersey when he was inducted into the United States Army at some point after July of 1940. He had ties to Camden County. At some point in 1944 he transferred to the all-volunteer 5307th Composite Unit, popularly known as Merrill’s Marauders.

After preliminary training operations were undertaken in great secrecy in the jungles of Central India, the Marauders began the long march up the Ledo Road and over the outlying ranges of the Himalayan Mountains into Burma. The Marauders, with no tanks or heavy artillery to support them, walked over 1,000 miles through extremely dense and almost impenetrable jungles.

Private Hyacinth W. Dooley Jr. was killed in action at Myitkyina, Burma on June 6, 1944.