In Memory of William Collins

[Senator]

As some of you know, I interviewed, for lack of a better term, many men who saw combat in WWII. The last of those men passed away at the end of 2005. He was one of the most incredible men I ever knew. After the war, he helped his friend start a company called Tandy, which some of you know as Radio Shack.

I remember when I was interviewing him, I kept trying to get a sense that he was afraid or bitter about going to war only a few months after graduating college. He wasn't. It never crossed his mind.

I was making some room on my PC, and found my first interview I had with him in 1998. If you want to read a cool story about one the officers on the most famous ship of World War II, I provide the link below. Sorry if the format is a little off. I just tossed it up there.

WILLIAM COLLINS

[Dutch]

I didn't have time to read the whole thing, I'll get back to it, but that's awesome! I can't wait to finish it.

I love stuff like this. My grandfather was on a B-17 crew and he sent letters home to his sisters every week or so. They are all neatly typed out in a memoir of sorts. Fascinating stuff from that era and that war.

[CamEdwards]

that's a great interview, Senator. I was just talking about the Pappy Boyington flap at UW and wanted to reference your interview during the show. Couldn't get to it today, but I'd like to share a couple of quotes from Mr. Collins tomorrow. I'm assuming that would be okay?

[Vince]

Amazing story.

[Senator]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

that's a great interview, Senator. I was just talking about the Pappy Boyington flap at UW and wanted to reference your interview during the show. Couldn't get to it today, but I'd like to share a couple of quotes from Mr. Collins tomorrow. I'm assuming that would be okay?

It would be great Cam. MP3 that thing this time, so I can hear it.

[Solecismic]

Nice interview. I wish my father had been willing to talk about his service in WWII. He was stationed in Okinawa for much of the war as a radar tech and navigator on bombing runs. Just lost family history.

There were a few stories he'd tell, like marching in 110 degree heat in basic training, and turning over a jeep during an incident while guarding a POW camp. But he wouldn't talk about combat at all and he would never let me bring war games into the house.

[Senator]

I really had to fight to get these guys to talk to me. I hung out with him showing him how to watch his stocks on the computer for hours and hours before he would talk to me about it. They all were this way. I didn't find a braggart among the 100 or so I interviewed, and I remember walking out of his house after the interview in tears because I had just talked to a real life hero.

[Dutch]

Wow, just read the rest of it. My grandfather lived near a guy named Buckett (I think) in South Carolina that was on the Indianapolis when it went down. They were very good friends.

[VPI97]

Great stuff, Sen. Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by Dutch

Wow, just read the rest of it. My grandfather lived near a guy named Buckett (I think) in South Carolina that was on the Indianapolis when it went down. They were very good friends.

Nikki's granddad was another crewman on the Indianapolis...he survived that experience, but passed away not too long after returning stateside.

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Nice interview. I wish my father had been willing to talk about his service in WWII. He was stationed in Okinawa for much of the war as a radar tech and navigator on bombing runs. Just lost family history.

My granddad "misrepresented" his age to go fight in the war and by the time his 18th birthday rolled around, he was fighting in the Battle of the Beachheads in New Guinea. Later, he served as a guard at one of the U.S. POW camps in New Zealand. Those two sentences are really the only things we know about his time in the Pacific. Like your dad, it's something he's never felt like talking about.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by VPI97

Great stuff, Sen. Thanks for sharing.

Nikki's granddad was another crewman on the Indianapolis...he survived that experience, but passed away not too long after returning stateside.

It's a small world--EDIT and sorry to hear that. Actually the guy I mentioned survived as well but lived at least until the 1970's. I'd have to ask my dad for specifics.

The story of the USS Indianapolis is an amazing story actually. For those not familiar, it was sunk in the last days of WWII. It was under radio silence. It was due at a harbor a day or so after it was sunk but instead of waiting for the ship to arrive, the harbor masters wiped it's name from their boards that morning and then nobody ever verfied it arrived. So all these crewman were left to float around in the Pacific for like a week until the Navy figured out it was missing and sent out search parties.

[Coffee Warlord]

Excellent interview.

[DaddyTorgo]

my grandfather who flew transports over normandy on d-day as well as flying other missions of course, would never tell us anything about his wartime service. Up until this last time that I went down to see him last year, when he finally started to open up and share some of his experiences with us. I'm saddened to report though that because I've only heard them one time that I already forget most of what he told us.

I think this is one of the most amazing things about this generation though, that those who sacrificed so much and threw themselves without abandon into this struggle continue to this day to be so modest and self-effacing about it.

it is both a marvelous thing and a shame though unfortunately. perhaps if there was more willingness to discuss the experiences of WWII we could have avoided/we might have a better chance of avoiding future conflict.

[Swaggs]

Good read.

Thanks for sharing it.

[Chas in Cinti]

My grandfather was a bodyguard for Douglas MacArthur... he didn't talk about anything either. Just that his partner was a bit of a loose cannon.... I always watch the specials on History Channel hoping to catch a glimpse of him when they do their MacArthur stories...

-Chas