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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Nov '92
Edward Joseph Collins No.15654 Class of 1946
Died 12 October 1984 at Fayetteville, North Carolina, aged 60
years.
Interment: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. |
The term soldier means many things to many people,
but it has a special connotation to those who have spent their
lives as professional soldiers. A "soldier's soldier"
is a term of respect given to a select few, but one unanimously
bestowed upon Edward Joseph (Woodie) Collins. He will be remembered
as a soldier to all, a mentor to many and a father figure to
the fortunate few who had the opportunity to serve under him.
More than a soldier was lost the day he died, a shining light
was lost that showed all who follow after him where the moral
high ground is and how to get there.
Woodie Collins was horn 18 February 1924 in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. He grew up in the Boston area and graduated from
Boston Latin School in 1941. A strong sense of family and a deep
belief in his Catholic faith were to be the bulwarks of Woodie's
future endeavors. A stint at Northeastern University and the
Army Air Corps Cadet program intervened between his graduation
from high school and his realization of a lifelong dream of entering
the United States Military Academy.
As a cadet, Woodie worked hard at academics,
and what he learned he retained. His friends from cadet days
recall him as a person of impeccable character, thoroughly honest
and dependable in every respect. A classmate, Bill Studer, recalled:
"...He was a steady and self-disciplined person who applied
himself conscientiously to whatever task needed to be done at
the time... Honor didn't seem to be something that he had to
learn at West Point. He had quite evidently learned it at home
and practiced it all his life. He was a devout Catholic who never
seemed to have any doubts about his religion..."
Another classmate, Billy Pendergrass, recalled:
"Woodie was a quiet but fierce defender of the right as
he saw it. Everyone in G- I Company knew and respected Woodie."
Graduation saw Woodie go into the Infantry and
attend the usual courses at Fort Benning, Georgia. He married
his long-time sweetheart. Marie A. Belmonte, in Revere, Massachusetts
on 12 April 1947. Marie recalls that Woodie loved being a part
of the Army. It came first and Marie, and later the children,
accepted and understood that fact. His first assignment was with
the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry in Vienna. From Vienna, he attended
the Infantry Advanced Course and then went to Korea, where he
served as S-4 with the 17th Infantry, 7th Division. In 1957,
Woodie began a series of assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division
ranging from company commander, assistant regimental S-3, assistant
G-3 to assistant chief of staff, Division Headquarters. From
the 82nd, Woodie went to France, where he served with the Support
Operations Task Force. In 1964 he received what he considered
his most rewarding assignment: battalion commander, 2-327, 101st
Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Woodie deployed
with his battalion to Vietnam and served there with distinction.
One of his company commanders recalls that Woodie embodied the
ethic of duty, honor and country and provided a command climate
that allowed his subordinates to grow professionally and spiritually.
Woodie demonstrated the best sense of balance between mission
and men that this officer had ever seen. Before mentoring became
the buzz word, Woodie was doing it as a matter of course.
From Vietnam, Woodie attended the Air War College
and then served as G-3, Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg and
later became a brigade commander at the Infantry Training Center.
From Fort Bragg, he served with the Office of the Deputy Chief
of Staff for Operations in Washington, DC. In 1973, Woodie and
Marie traveled to the Presidio of San Francisco, where he served
his terminal tour with Recruiting Command. Woodie retired from
the Army in 1976 as a colonel.
After retirement, he served one year as com-mandant
of a small military school in South Carolina. The Collins finally
retired in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Woodie died of cancer
on 12 October 1984. He is survived by his wife, Marie; two daughters,
Marylee and Lucy; a son, Edward J., Jr. (USMA '72), and his three
grandchildren who were the joy of his life, Stephen, Beth and
Mike.
Woodie Collins had a dramatic impact on those
who served with him. They all recall him with a heartwarming
fondness and respect:
"In my opinion, Woodie was one of the finest
officers and gentlemen I ever served with."
"He was a tireless worker. extremely loyal to his unit
and his superiors."
"As a company, battalion and brigade C.O., he took care
of his troops."
"As a staff officer in the 82nd Airborne Division his
reputation was well known: Give the job to Woodie if you want
it done correctly. Or Ask Woodie, he will know the answer."
"I never once met, talked, marched or sat down with Woodie
Collins without thinking that his was the kind of man and soldier
that USMA strived to produce."
"Woodie represented everything that West Point intended
each graduate to be."
"Above all, he was continuously aware of his responsibilities
to the men he commanded. It is noteworthy that they returned
this same sense of affection and trust to him."
"His loyalty to home, Marie, friends and moral values
was absolute."
Woodie was a quiet, shy man with an inner strength
that often surprised his family. He was a loving and caring
husband and father. His sense of family and his faith remained
an integral pan of his life throughout his career. He loved the
Army and he was proud of his West Point heritage. His passing
left a huge void in the lives of all who knew and loved him.
The Class of 1946 joins Marie and the children in declaring,
"Well Done, Woodie; Be Thou At Peace!"
46 Memorial Article Project and his
wife, Marie
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