Benjamin William “Ben” Harcq, Jr. was born on 7 July 1917 in Illinois. He lived in Cook County, Illinois, completed four years of high school and worked as an office clerk. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in Chicago, Illinois, on 29 July 1942. After training, he was assigned as tail gunner on the crew of Lt. Raymond F. Jackson, in the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Lavenham, England. He was killed in action on 30 September 1944 when his crew's aircraft, B-17G 43-38037 ‘Liberty Belle', collided with B-17G 43-38154 ‘Heavenly Body' just after bombs away over Bielefeld, Germany (MACR 9422). SSGT Harcq is now buried in the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois, USA.