Billie Calvin Ritchie was born on September 24, 1923, in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas. He was the son of William Cecil Ritchie and Berta Mae Harvey Ladd. He was married to Alta May Bogue Ritchie. He served in the United States Army with the 740th Tank Battalion in World War II. Known as the “Daredevil Tankers”, the 740th was a separate battalion that fought from Utah Beach all the way to the Baltic Sea in support of various divisions of the US war effort.

SSgt Billie was also a Mason, a Shriner, and a member of the Scottish Rite. He worked as a cabinetmaker until his retirement in 2002. He died on June 9, 2004, and is now buried in the Crestview Memorial Park, Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com