World War II Honoree

Edward John Collins

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Pensacola, Florida

Honored By

Dr. Gwynn Collins Akin Bowers

Relationship

Daughter

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. NAVY AS A LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE IN 1943. SERVED AS AN ELECTRONICS ENGINEER AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER. WORKED WITH EDWIN A. LINK IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LINK TRAINER. WAS ONE OF THE FIRST “GUINEA PIGS” FOR THE NEW TRAINER, WHICH WAS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY USED FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING IN WWII AND AFTER. ORIGINATED THE J. GOSLING INSIGNIA, WHICH BECAME THE “TRADEMARK” OF NAVAL AVIATION AND THE NAVAL AIR STATION IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. ACHIEVED THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COMMANDER AND REMAINED ACTIVE IN THE NAVAL RESERVES FOR A LONG TIME AFTER THE END OF WWII. WAS A PIONEER IN AMATEUR RADIO (W4MS) AND RECEIVED HIS FIRST RADIO LICENSE IN 1915. HIS BACKGROUND WITH AMATEUR RADIO ALLOWED HIM TO MAKE MANY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN ELECTRONICS DURING WWII.