George Toriello sent me this information on George Collins, Jr. According to military records, George Collins, Jr. was born on January 19, 1913. The 1930 census Reveals George Collins, Jr. was living at 358 Anderson Street Hackensack, New Jersey with his parents George, Sr. and Elizabeth Collins. George Collins, Jr. was in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves and held the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. By the notes made on the Headstone Marker Application.
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There is writing under ‘Discharge Date’ Manilla Bay Philippines and then two other words or initials I cannot understand. Then, on another note on the card, it says “on ship duty Japanese War”.
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There are no specifics given so cause of death is unknown to us. George Collins, Jr. could have died of disease, an accident, or some unknown incident we just do not know. His father signed for the headstone October 30, 1948 showing George Collins, Jr. died on August 15, 1945, so clearly Find a Grave showing date of death as 1948 clearly is wrong because that is when the body was repatriated to his final resting place in the family grave.
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The other proof of George Collins, Jr. having died while in service is his name being placed on the World War II Plaque at City Hall in Hackensack paying tribute to his death while in the service.
To summarize, George Collins, Jr. served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and was on a ship somewhere in the Pacific Theater probably in Manilla Bay the Philippine area on August 15, 1945 and died at the age of 32. We do not know what caused
George Collins death at this time. This was the period of the War in the Pacific Theater after the Atom Bomb was dropped on
August 6-9, 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan until the official signing in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, which must have laid heavy on the families’ hearts because the War was essentially over. The family then had his body repatriated in 1948 to be buried in the family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA
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Written by:
Bob Meli
March 15, 2020
