For WWII soldier's widow, a 60-year mystery finally solved

CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley ^ | June 5, 2012 | By Steve Hartman

[LTC.Ret]

Peggy Harris of Vernon, Tex. never got a knock at the door, never got a telegram, never got anything definitive explaining what happened to her husband Billie during World War II. And so, in the absence of answers, she has remained dutiful to this day. . . .

Wrote repeatedly, in fact, asking for any information about the fate of her husband. The last letter, in 2005, was directed to Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, who also happens to be vice-chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. . . .

Note: After this story aired, Rep. Thornberry's office issued an apology for "mishandling" of information relating to Harris' case.

[LTC.Ret]

I got calls from several people who saw this piece when it aired on CBS this morning.

Rep. Mac Thornberry's FaceBook page is now unavailable.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Thanks for posting this story. They just don’t make people like this anymore.

[WXRGina]

Oh, what a sad and astonishing story!

God bless that dear lady’s heart and her husband’s ultimate sacrifice for our country.

[WXRGina]

PING! Watch the video report at the link.

[smokingfrog]

Tribute to Bille D. Harris

[PA Engineer]

From the comments section:

It's a shame that CBS News left out so much of the story. It makes it appear that a simple check of records could have found Billie at the cemetery in Normandy. Instead, he was buried in the French village near where his plane went down. In fact, records were not clear for years because, the French thought that Billie was Canadian.

"In 2004, when the small French village of Les Ventes held a ceremony to observe the 60th anniversary of the French liberation, city councilwoman Valerie Quesnel learned that a gravesite in the town cemetery, which was said to have been the original burial location of a Canadian pilot shot down by the Germans during World War II, was actually that of an American fighter pilot from Altus, Okla., named Lt. Billie Dowe Harris."

Read more at http://www.354thpmfg.com/BillieDHarris_part2.html.

I'm afraid that Rep Thornberry is being made the villain here for no reason.

[Baynative]

"Billie was married to me all of his life, and I choose to be married to him all of my life," Harris said.

That tugs at my heart.

[WXRGina]

[Sporke]

Mac is not innocent in this matter. If all the family had to do was look at his service record, then that’s all Mac had to do. He runs the Armed Services Committee for goodness sakes.

He is my Congresscritter and he will answer for this.

[Enten]

“Billie was married to me all of his life, and I choose to be married to him all of my life,” Harris said.

That was very nice..........

[Last Dakotan]

He is my Congresscritter and he will answer for this.

Regardless of party, he needs to retire or be retired.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

When it absolutely, positively, has to be rendered FUBAR, ask the Congress of the United States for an answer...

Regards,
GtG

PS For those unfamiliar with the terminology, in order of significant impact...

Bend
Over
Here
It
Comes
Again

Fowled*
Up
Beyond
All
Rrecognition

Situation
Normal
All
Fowled*
Up

* Text altered to prevent censorship

[Sporke]

That won’t happen. This is about the most conservative part of Texas and he never gets a serious opponent.

I can’t stand the guy, he’s there just to be there. “Goes along to get along”. :-/

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Thank you for posting their picture.Makes me sad for the lady.

[Last Dakotan]

That’s what primaries are for.

[WXRGina]

Thank you for posting their picture. Makes me sad for the lady.

Oh, me, too. Bless her heart. Such a pretty girl and a faithful one, too.

[1_Rain_Drop]

keep birds out of this mess.
you need to use ewes.
u not w

[1_Rain_Drop]

A truly handsome couple. Such a shame.

[WXRGina]

I can’t help but think of their family that never was (and so many others like them).

My grandfather served in the Naval Pacific Theater, and he made it home. He is now 86. He and my grandmother had three children. My Mom was one of them.

We just can’t fully imagine the scope of the loss of war.

[dglang]

You forgot TARFU, Toaally And Royaly F’d Up