World War II Honoree

Henry W. 'Bill' Collins

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Austell, Georgia

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER AS A FIGHTER PILOT AND FIRST LIEUTENANT WITH THE 391ST FIGHTER ‘FOXHUNT’ SQUADRON, 366TH FIGHTER GROUP, NINTH AIR FORCE. FLEW REPUBLIC P-47 ‘THUNDERBOLT’ FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. OPERATED OUT OF AIRFIELD A-70 NEAR LAON, FRANCE. ON NOVEMBER 17, 1944, PARTICIPATED IN A GROUND-SUPPORT MISSION FOR THE 4TH INFANTRY ‘IVY’ DIVISION AGAINST THE ENEMY LOCATED IN THE HUERTGEN FOREST, SOUTHEAST OF THE GERMAN CITY OF AACHEN. TOOK OFF THAT MORNING AS ‘YELLOW FLIGHT’ LEADER IN MARGINAL FLYING WEATHER IN RAIN AND FOG AND WITH RAGGED CEILINGS AND LOW VISIBILITY. DUE TO THE BAD WEATHER, HIS FLIGHT WAS FORCED TO FLY LOW AND WAS CONTINUALLY EXPOSED TO ENEMY ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE. WHILE OPERATING AGAINST TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE VICINITY OF MERODE CASTLE, NEAR DUREN, GERMANY, FOUGHT AGAINST ELEMENTS OF THE 16TH PANZER REGIMENT. ON THIS SINGLE MISSION, HIS SQUADRON LAUNCHED 16 AIRCRAFT AND LOST 4 AIRCRAFT AND HAD 3 PILOTS KILLED IN ACTION. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.