A couple had just been married for six weeks when the husband left for war and never returned. His wife resolved to remain true to him indefinitely and never remarry. It took her 60 years to figure out the mystery behind her husband’s disappearance.
Finding real love in life is an incredible experience. It brings people together and helps them get through difficult situations. When everything else appears to be lost, love emerges as a tremendous force, reigniting hope in the midst of darkness and despair.
Peggy Harris and Billie D. Harris of Vernon, Texas, were lucky to have a once-in-a-lifetime love, but their narrative was full of twists and turns and a mystery that took more than six decades to solve.
The Call to Duty
In June 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower gave the final call for the Allied invasion of Normandy, France. Several American soldiers were deployed to fight for France’s liberation in the months ahead, and among them was First Lieutenant Billie.
A Faithful Wife
Tragically, Billie never returned from that mission. Peggy waited for years to hear from her husband, but there was no knock at the door, no telegram, and nothing definitive to explain what happened to him during World War II.
Despite the lack of answers, she stayed true to the love of her life and never remarried. “Billie was married to me all of his life, and I choose to be married to him all of my life,” Peggy said.
The conflicting reports
The reports from US forces were extremely unclear and inaccurate. Billie was initially listed as missing in action. Then he was supposed to be alive and returning home. After after, Peggy received a letter informing her that he had been killed and buried in a cemetery.
It was followed by another letter stating that he had been buried at a separate cemetery. Peggy was tired of hearing conflicting news, but she waited. Days passed into months, months into years, and years into decades, yet there was no response.
She eventually wrote to her Congressman. Peggy wrote to him often, requesting information about her husband’s fate. In 2005, she received a letter from Congressman Mac Thornberry informing her that Billie was still recorded as “missing in action” in the National Archives.
A True Hero
After discovering the location of her late husband’s burial, Peggy began visiting the cemetery, and according to the groundskeepers, she was the only widow who had seen her spouse’s grave.
Peggy sent flowers at least ten times per year when she couldn’t drop by herself, making Billie’s grave the most decorated in Normandy. However, Peggy was still unaware of many things.
Billie’s jet crashed near the little community of Les Ventes, France, and the town’s main street was named for him. Surprisingly, the villagers had always remembered Billie’s sacrifice for their liberty every year since his jet was shot down.
Loved and Remembered
The people buried Billie with great reverence and initially thought he was Canadian. Valerie Quesnel and Mr. Huard, two French citizens, discovered Billie’s American citizenship during the 60th anniversary of France’s independence in 2004 and informed US officials.
