Peggy Seale Harris and 1st Lt. Billie Dowe Harris married on September 22, 1943, in Tallahassee, Florida, just six weeks before Billie was deployed overseas.
Billie, a fighter pilot with the U.S. Army Air Forces, was assigned to the 354th Fighter Group and flew P-51 Mustang missions over German-occupied Europe.
On July 17, 1944, Billie was shot down during a mission over northern France. He managed to steer his plane away from the village of Les Ventes, crashing into the woods and sacrificing his life to protect the townspeople.
Initially reported as missing, Peggy received conflicting information over the years—first being told he was alive and coming home, then that he had passed away and been buried in one cemetery, only to later learn that those remains might not have been his.
In 2005, after more than six decades of uncertainty, Peggy’s cousin requested Billie’s military records and discovered that a French woman had previously requested the same files. Upon contacting her, they learned that Billie had been laid to rest in the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, France. The small town of Les Ventes honored him by naming their main road “Place Billie D. Harris” and held annual commemorations in his memory.
In 2006, Peggy visited France to pay tribute to her husband. She was warmly welcomed by the people of Les Ventes, who had preserved his memory for over 60 years. She continued to honor Billie’s legacy, visiting his grave and the crash site annually, and cherishing the enduring bond they shared until she passed in 2020.
by UrbanAchievers6371