Herman Fred Collins was born July 12, 1924, in Halifax, Vermont and grew up in Massachusetts. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 9, 1942, and volunteered for the parachute infantry. He was sent to Camp Toccoa in Georgia for training and assigned to the headquarters section of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion/506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division.

After training in the U.S. and England, Collins was prepared to make his first combat jump into Normandy. He was placed in Stick #66 with the company headquarters under the command of 1LT Thomas Meehan.

Just after 11:00 PM on June 5, 1944, the plane carrying Collins and the other members of Chalk #66 took off. 1LT Richard Winters followed just behind in Chalk #67. After crossing over the coastline and into occupied Normandy, Easy Company’s C-47’s came under anti-aircraft and small arms fire for roughly 10 miles before reaching their drop zones.

Around 1:12 AM Collins’s plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and began to lose altitude with an engine on fire. Two miles south of Sainte Mere Eglise, the plane hit the ground and exploded on impact, killing all 5 of the flight crew and 17 parachute infantrymen aboard, including T/5 Collins. One of the few items recovered from the crash site were his dog tags, which are now on display at the D-Day Experience Museum in Normandy.

Collins was only 19 years old when he died.


Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

Thanks for your service. It won't be forgotten. I'm a combat-wounded Vietnam Vet and I have a great-granduncle who joined the Illinois Vol. Inf. in 1862 and then died of cholera two months later. He's buried in the same cemetery as you and your D-Day brothers. Rest in peace!

Thank you Mr. Collins for your service. Your life was not given in vain. Freedom lives!!

HERMAN F COLLINS

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