Sergeant Bennie Back

Bennie Back

Sergeant Bennie Back was shot and killed in Paris, France, while he and two other military police officers transported a prisoner from a local police station to the Army Criminal Investigations Division headquarters.

The prisoner, an Army service member, had been arrested by Paris police officers after robbing several people in a local business. The three MPs and the prisoner were riding in a Jeep. As the vehicle approached the Paris Opera house the prisoner was able to disarm the MP riding in the backseat and then jump from the Jeep as it came to a stop. Sergeant Back and the prisoner exchanged shots resulting in Sergeant Back being fatally wounded. He was transported to a local hospital where he died shortly after midnight.

The subject was convicted of Sergeant Back's murder and several other violations of the Articles of War. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Sergeant Back was survived by his wife and parents. He was buried in Epinal American Cemetery in France.