Last updated: May 28, 2026
Person
Travis, Ben Hooper
The Travis / Richardson family
Quick Facts
Significance:
704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 4th Armored Division
Place of Birth:
Tennessee
Date of Birth:
March 3, 1911
Place of Death:
France
Date of Death:
September 19, 1944
Place of Burial:
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Cemetery Name:
Stones River National Cemetery
Ben Hooper Travis was born on March 3, 1911, in Tennessee. During World War II, he served his country as a Private First Class in the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion, attached to the 4th Armored Division.
The 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion was activated on December 15, 1941, and trained extensively in the deserts of California and Texas. The unit deployed to England, arriving in April 1944. The following month, the 704th became one of the first units equipped with the new M18 Hellcat tank destroyer. The Hellcat proved to be one of the most effective tank destroyers fielded by the United States during the war. Although smaller than the M4 Sherman tank, it carried a similar 76mm main gun and could reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour, making it the fastest tracked armored vehicle of World War II. To achieve this remarkable speed and mobility, however, the M18 sacrificed armor protection, leaving its crews more vulnerable to enemy fire.
Travis and the 704th landed at Utah Beach on July 13, 1944, following the Allied invasion of Normandy. Later that month, they participated in the breakout from the Normandy beachhead, helping Allied forces push westward and then rapidly advance across France. As German resistance in France collapsed, the 704th raced eastward, passing south of Paris and north of Orléans as Allied armies pursued the retreating enemy.
By September, Travis and his unit had reached the area around Arracourt in eastern France, where they encountered determined German resistance. Between September 18 and 19, the battalion endured heavy artillery bombardment and repeated German armored attacks. Several M18 Hellcats were destroyed during the fighting. Amid this fierce combat, Travis suffered a severe leg wound from an artillery shell. He died on September 19, 1944, likely as a result of those injuries.
After the war, Ben Hooper Travis's remains were returned home to Tennessee and laid to rest at Stones River National Cemetery in Plot P-6293. His service and sacrifice are remembered as part of the courageous effort to liberate Europe from tyranny during World War II.