Retired Angel Drill Team founder thanks Gurnee

Angel Drill Team founder Nathaniel Hamilton made a recent stop to say thanks to the Gurnee village board for its support.

Hamilton, earlier this month, retired from heading the all-girls drill team after 44 years. His exit also means the end of the team.

Appearing at a village board meeting Sept. 12, Hamilton thanked the officials and then singled out Mayor Kristina Kovarik for her "undying support" of the Angel Drill Team. The squad made its last public appearance in Zion over Labor Day weekend.

Village board members passed a resolution honoring Hamilton in August. He's been a Gurnee resident for about 25 years.

"I enjoy my town," Hamilton said. "I'm proud of my town."

A retired Navy senior chief and drill instructor, Hamilton founded the Lake County group in 1967. Angel Drill Team was the only all-girl synchronized rifle tossing and twirling marching champion in the United States.

Angel Drill Team captured 23 national championships and four international titles under Hamilton, along with more than 700 trophies and citations. The Angels marched in President Barack Obama's inaugural parade in Washington in 2009.

"We'll definitely miss the Angel Drill Team," Kovarik said.

More than 2,000 Lake County girls were Angel Drill Team members.

Hamilton, a retired school principal, also is known for his huge collection of multicultural materials that he takes to area schools in hopes of raising awareness.

His eclectic collection features thousands of items, from a Martin Luther King Jr. board game to posters featuring the history of Hispanics in America. Hamilton has been gathering the pieces for more than 25 years.