World War II hero honored in ceremony
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HUTTONSVILLE -- The memory of a highly decorated World War II veteran was honored Saturday as a section of Route 250 was named for Boggs Collins.
"Boggs did so many things when he was in the service," Delegate Bill Hartman, D-43rd District, said at the ceremony Saturday morning, as he prepared to read the resolution naming the section of road. "You'll probably never see a resolution that's longer than this."
The section of Route 250 now named for Collins runs from the intersection of Route 219 at Huttonsville south to the Pocahontas County line. A sign had already been placed at the road prior to Saturday's ceremony.
Collins, a Huttonsville native, served in the United States Army during WWII, from 1942 until 1945, as part of the 1st platoon of "C" Company of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.
Collins achieved a number of accolades, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Parachutist Badge with two combat jump stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead and four campaign stars, the WWII Victory Medal, the Distinguished (Presidential) Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters, and five overseas service bars.
Collins was recommended for Silver Star Medal by "C" Company Commander Captain Jess Walls for action in December 1944.
As part of a parachute battalion, Collins made multiple jumps, including as part of D-Day and Operation Market Garden, in addition to jumps into North Africa and Sicily.
Collins was wounded in action three times -- in Italy, France and Belgium. Military campaigns Collins was involved in included action in Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Ardennes-Alsace and Rhineland.
After being honorably discharged in 1945, Collins returned home to Huttonsville, where he worked as a farmer. Collins died in 2004 at the age of 87. The WWII Memorial Section in the Russell Memorial Library in Mill Creek is dedicated in the name of Collins.