Bennie Levie Ballard was born at Braggs, Muskogee County, Oklahoma on July 17, 1923. He was the oldest of nine children of Jack Ballard (28 Nov 1900 – 25 Sep 1978), who was born in Indian Territory and grew up near Cookson, in what is now Cherokee County, Oklahoma; and Delva May (McMains) Ballard (11 Apr 1903 – 11 Sep 1992), who was born in Indian Territory in what is now Nowata County, Oklahoma. His parents were members of the Cherokee Tribe; both were of Cherokee and Caucasian ancestry. His parents married at Nowata, Nowata County, Oklahoma on March 4, 1922. His father was a farmer and a laborer in a laundry. In 1940 the family lived at 442 North Willow in Nowata, Oklahoma. He completed at least one year of high school, and registered for the draft at Nowata on June 30, 1942. He was 6 feet tall, weighed 175 pounds, and had brown eyes and black hair. At that time he was employed by City Drug in Nowata. He enlisted in the U.S. Army by 1943. He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training, and was assigned as waist gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Raymond F. Jackson. The Jackson crew completed operational training in the States, and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived at Station 137 by July 24, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Sgt Ballard and six of his crewmates were killed in action on September 30, 1944, when their aircraft, B-17G 43-38037 'Liberty Belle', collided with B-17G 43-38154 'Heavenly Body' after bombs away over Bielefeld, Germany. Apparently B-17G 43-38154 'Heavenly Body', flying in the number 7 position of the Low Squadron, was caught in prop wash turbulence during the descending turn away from the target. This aircraft, piloted by Lt Harold E. Oesch, flipped over on its back and collided with B-17G 43-38037 'Liberty Belle', piloted by Lt Jackson, who was flying in the number 9 position. (Note: This is based on an eyewitness account, and differs from the report in MACR 9422.) 'Liberty Belle' lost its outboard starboard wing, and both ships went down. Two men on Lt Jackson's crew survived. Only the bombardier on Lt Oesch's crew, Lt Zalneraitis, survived. Sgt Ballard’s remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at McMains Cemetery, Nowata County, Oklahoma in 1949.

B-17G 43-38037 crew:
• Jackson, Raymond F – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Sherrill, Theodore I – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Franke Jr, John H – 2/Lt – Navigator – POW
• Plevak, Edward C – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Nelson, Laverne W – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Michael, George R – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – POW
• Rogers, Willie – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ballard, Bennie L – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Harcq Jr, Benjamin W – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com