366th Fighter Group  9th Air Force

United States Army Air Corps

LTC Henry W. Collins USAF (Ret)

366th Fighter Group Association Web Site

This  placard is on display at the USAF Academy near the chapel

P-47 Sculpture near the Air Force Academy Chapel

My father, the flight crew and their P-47 "Thunderbolt". 

Crew Chief SSG Selby, ASST. Crew Chief SGT Fredericks, ARMAMENT CPL Bergstrom, RADIO CPL Pizzo, Pilot LT Bill Collins

PILOTS FROM THE 366TH FIGHTER GROUP INSPECTING ONE OF THE TIGER TANKS DESTROYED BY THE GROUP.  PILOTS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT LT. H.W. Collins (My father) Joe Richmond and Paul Barrel, not sure who the man on the right is.  The unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for this action.  The operation started as a mission to strike an artillery unit holding up the grunts.  There were 8 planes that spotted the tank column near the original target.  The grunts were 200 yards away and didn't know they were coming.  To make matters more difficult it was raining cats and dogs and visibility was awful.  Their field was Airstrip A-1 Pointe Du Hoc, near Omaha Beach.  They flew three sorties that day July 11, 1944.  I would describe the hit as near text book perfect.  

Dad and "Glamour Girl"

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