Benjamin Howard Norrid was born on January 5, 1924 in Lauderdale County, Tennessee. He was the son of Dora D. Norrid of Union City, TN. Staff Sergeant Norrid, gunner of the B-24 Liberator “Flak Finder”, took off from the southern Italian town of Torretta at 0630 on the 27th of May, 1944, to flatten the German bombers stationed at Salon-de-Provence. At 1000, the “Flak Finder” lived up to its name, taking a direct hit in its right wing and forcing the crew to bail out at the summit of the Pic de l'Aiglo, between Thorenc and Le Mas. He was captured by the Germans. He evaded capture with the assistance of the resistance of Digne until July 30, 1944 when he was captured at Eaux-Chaudes and sent to Stalag Luft 4 in Gross Tychow.

Benjamin died on October 4, 2016 at the age of 92 in Memphis, Tennessee and is now buried in the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church Cemetery, Arp, Lauderdale County, Tennessee, USA.