Tragically Extraordinary
Weeks passed and still no word. She began to worry that perhaps he became gravely ill returning from his deployment in Europe.
For years, she searched in vain but now, as she listened to the man speak, her heart tightened. A French woman had already paid for a copy of his files. Her search for the truth led her on an extraordinary and tragic journey.
Peggy Seale
While World War II was creating a storm of destruction on one side of the world, small-town girl Peggy Seale graduated high school with straight A’s on the other.
She watched helplessly as all the young men around her were called to service. She knew she had to do something to help so she applied to work at the Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. It’s here where she met Billie.
Joining The Cause
Peggy left her hometown of Vernon, Texas to pursue an inner calling to help her fellow countrymen. Little did she know the love story that was coming her way.
As the only woman working as a mechanic on the base, Peggy quickly garnered a lot of attention. But one general was adamant that she would be perfect for his son, an air force pilot named Billie.
Deployed To WWII
When Billie first wrote to Peggy, she did her best to dissuade him. But as fate would have it, they soon met in a plane hangar at Altus AFB and the rest was history.
But after only a short few weeks of being married, Billie was hurled into the throes of WWII to fight for the U.S. in Northern France against the Nazi occupation. Unbeknownst to Peggy, that goodbye would be the last time she’d see him.
Keeping Secrets
When Peggy was sworn to secrecy about her husband’s whereabouts, Billie arrived in Europe where he would stay for months, completing around 60 to 100 missions.
This achievement gave him the right to return home but with the sheer volume of injured soldiers that were priority passengers, there was no room for him. He’d have to wait. He wrote to Peggy to let her know to expect a delayed return, but that never happened.
Nowhere In Sight
After months of waiting without word from Billie, Peggy received a letter from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. It stated that he had returned to America.
But after the days rolled into weeks, Peggy knew something was very wrong. She feared he might be gravely injured in a hospital somewhere. She had to act quickly but what she’d find left her speechless.
Missing In Action
Peggy and her father-in-law were sick with worry when they decided to reach out to The Red Cross. According to them, he was still being processed but that just wasn’t possible.
Before long, they received another correspondence from the United States Armed Forces. Billie was listed as “Missing In Action” since July 7th. But something wasn’t right.
Not Adding Up
The last letter Peggy received from him was after that date. It didn’t add up. Peggy waited and searched to no avail as the years passed.
Now, in her old age, still a devoted widow, she needed closure more than ever and so she began the search once more. She called Billie’s cousin, John, for help and the two of them began to turn over every stone of his missing case.
Matching Identify
Peggy didn’t dare to believe that Billie was still alive, she just needed to know what happened to him. She needed this to move on and find peace but sometimes, the only way up is down.
Peggy and John were shooting in the dark when they called every cemetery in the state - until they hit a match. It was him, but something seemed very strange.
Mysterious Woman
The cemetery asked to look over something and call them back but when they did, Peggy made a shocking discovery.
The cemetery told Peggy that a French woman from Les Ventes already called them to request and pay for a copy of Billie’s records. Her heart dropped. Who was this woman?
Who Was She?
What should have taken the cemetery about 6 months to gather together now could happen within days because Billie’s record had already recently been pulled.
The information was a match, and this time what was written beside his name was “K.I.A”, meaning killed in action. But who was this mysterious French woman?
Mayer of Les Ventes
The French woman who pulled Billie’s records turned out to be the Mayor of the French village, Les Ventes; a place where Billie Harris’ name was well-known.
When Peggy contacted the mayor, she was delighted to hear from her and invited her to participate in one of their annual parades. Confused, Peggy asked why. What she said left her speechless.
A Hero
Not only was Billie Harris well-known in the village, he was also considered a town hero with a street named after him; Place Billie D. Harris. Peggy's eyes began to well as she told her what happened on that fateful day seven decades ago.
Peggy listened as she began to tell the incredible and tragic story of his heroism.
Saving Lives
During the war, Billie Harris saved countless lives, including the whole village of Les Ventes. You see, Les Ventes was under Nazi occupation. It was also where Billie Harris’ plane got shot in combat.
But as his plane was falling he had two options: to save himself and eject from the plane, leaving it to crash into the town square, killing hundreds or to divert the plane.
Closure
Billie chose the latter and crashed into a nearby forest. Once villagers realized what he did, they rushed to his aid. But by the time they reached him, it was too late.
Finally, Peggy has the closure she always desired and received a formal apology from the military for their discrepancy in accounting for Billie Harris’ heroic departure from this world.