Sergeant David Collins
US Army
Sergeant Collins's Act of Heroism
David was KIA by an IED in Ar Ramadi, Iraq April 9,2006. He was off missions that day and shouldn't have been going out on the mission that he was killed doing. The young man that was to go was really scared because he'd never been in the situation that they were going into. David told him he'd go in his place because he was afraid Daniel would get hurt and get someone else hurt because he was sp scared. The mission was to give support to a unit that was pinned down. They had already lost one soldier and had injured I believe is how it went. David was serving his second tour of duty.
My Hero
I consider David a hero even before he joined the Army. He and I did our firefighter training together. He was a 1st Responder also. He volunteered for the Fire Department in our hometown for about four years before he went into the Army. David would do anything to help someone in trouble. He was always there for me through many surgeries. He was a good daddy. His children meant the world to him. The portrait I'd like painted is of David and his daughter Elizabeth. He had come home for R&R from his first tour of duty. This was the first time he would meet his daughter Elizabeth. When he had to go back they were at the airport and he was telling her goodbye. He was holding her so their heads were touching. A lady that had brought her son to return to his unit took a picture of David and Elizabeth because she said it was so touching. She emailed the picture to her son when he got back to Iraq and asked of he knew this young man in the picture. He did. They were in the same unit. She emailed the picture to David who in turn emailed it to all the family. David always wanted children and it was hard for him to miss her birth. Two years later they were epecting again and he was called up to deploy before his sons birth but God was good.He allowed David to be here for James birth. Elizabeth was almost three and James was 6 months old when David was KIA. David was very loyal to his friends. He was always smiling. He could make you laugh even in the worst times.