A couple was married for only six weeks when the husband went off to war and never returned. His wife decided to remain faithful to him forever and never remarried. It took her 60 years to decipher the mystery around her husband’s disappearance.
Finding true love in this life is an indescribable feeling. It binds people together and helps them navigate through challenging times. Love emerges as a powerful force when everything else seems too far gone, rekindling hope amidst darkness and despair.
Peggy Harris and Billie D. Harris from Vernon, Texas, were fortunate enough to experience a once-in-a-lifetime love, but their story was filled with endless twists and turns and a puzzle that took more than six decades to solve.
Lieutenant Billie Harris. | Source: YouTube.com/CBS News
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.
Peggy and Billie were married for only six weeks when he went off to answer his call to duty. Like a devoted wife, Peggy waved her husband goodbye and wished him all the best in his endeavors.
As a First Lieutenant fighter pilot, Billie was called to help the Allied forces wrest control from the Nazis. He fought courageously and embarked on a mission over Nazi-occupied northern France on July 17, 1944.
Screenshot of Peggy Harris speaking in an interview. | Source: YouTube/CBS News
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.
But there was still a lot that Peggy didn’t know about.
But despite the lack of answers, she remained faithful 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,” expressed Peggy.
The Conflicting Reports
The reports from United States forces were utterly confusing and misleading. Initially, Billie was reported missing in action. Then, he was reported as alive and returning home. After that, Peggy received a letter that said he had been killed and buried at a cemetery.
It was followed by another letter that said he was buried at a different cemetery. Peggy was tired of all the conflicting reports, but she waited. Days turned into months, months became years, and years turned into decades, but there was no answer.
Eventually, she wrote to her congressman. Peggy repeatedly wrote to him, demanding answers about her husband’s fate. In 2005, she received a letter from Congressman Mac Thornberry stating that Billie was still listed as “missing in action” in the National Archives.
Screenshot of Peggy Harris speaking in an interview. | Source: YouTube/CBS News
‘Killed in Action’
One more person wanted more than the congressman’s answer and was determined to solve the mystery around Billie’s disappearance. Soon afterward, Billie’s cousin, Alton Harvey, began digging for information.
Harvey mentioned that it didn’t sound right that his cousin went off to war and didn’t return. So, he requested Billie’s military records, and what he then discovered left him speechless.
He learned that Congressman Thornberry had never clearly checked the records like he claimed because Billie was listed as KIA “killed in action” in the National Registry. Moreover, the documents stated that his grave was located in the American cemetery in Normandy, France.
A True Hero
