Harris, Billie Dowe, born 14-10-1922, in Jackson County, 
Oklahoma, United States, the only son of Virgil and Nell Harris. Billie was married to Peggy, born Seale Harris on 22-09-1943 six weeks before he went off to war, and was assigned to the 354th Fighter Group, 
355th Fighter Squadron. 
Billie was assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron/354th Fighter Group in southeast England and he flew a P-51 Mustang 
as bomber support missions into Germany. He was successful in his daily missions across the English channel that earned him two Air Medals 
and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
On his last mission on 17-07-1944, he was flying on a P-47 fighter 
over the town of Les Ventes when his plane was shot down. He had managed to avoid crashing his plane into the town area and was able to maneuver to crash the plane into the forest, saving the loss of many lives. He was able to maintain the control of his plane and avoid the village. Since his death the town has memorialised him; he was initially buried there and the main town square was named after him. His widow, Peggy, was unaware of his status until 2005, as she thought he had gone missing and had not been found 
and the town honnered him with a street sign marking the sacrifice by 1st Lt Billie D. Harris USAFin saving the town of Les Ventes during WWII July 17, 1944 
The French Resistance were the first to get to the aircraft, and discovered that Billie Dove Harris was dead. It landed in trees and was cushioned on impact. His body was not immediately recovered because the German soldiers closed in. His ID was stripped by the Germans but he had a patch on his arm that read D. Harris.
Death and burial ground of Billie Dove Harris.
The Resistance had recovered his body, which they carefully buried, along with other heroes who had lost their lives. Harris was thought to be a Canadian by the town’s villagers as they assumed his name was D’Harris and could not clearly identify him as an American soldier, as objects to identify him had been taken by the Germans. The town of Les Ventes honored him as a hero as he had fought to liberate France as well as his sacrifice for their freedom in avoiding the village with his plane on crash impact.
Billie was memorialized at Plot D Row 27 Grave 3, Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France and 
Jim Maloney (nephew) and Peggy, born Seale Harris at Billie’s grave. Buried at Normandy American Cemetery St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France, 2008. Normandy, France: 
Peggy Seale Harris of Vernon (second from left) is joined by then Texas Governor Rick Perry (fourth from left) at the memorial at Pointe Du Hock, Normandy, France during a visit Harris and her nephew, Jim Maloney, made in June. Others in the photograph are Jacqueline Pain, wife of Cricqueville, France mayor, John Chatel, translator, and Anita Perry, wife of Rick Perry.
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