Howard Milton Collins was born August 5, 1915 in Akeley, Minnesota to John T. Collins (1886-1964) and Sylvia Shofner (1891-1939). His parents were married February 11, 1911 in Cass County, Minnesota. Howard was the second of their seven children, which included Clifford (1912-1989), Olive M. (1915-1991), John L. (1917-1968), Leslie Kenneth, (1922-1963), Merritt (1924-1997), and Evelyn (1927- ?) The family lived on a farm in rural Turtle Lake Township, MN. His parents were both from Minnesota and they were farmers.

Howard registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 in Walker, Cass County, MN. He was 5'-8" tall, weighed 149 pounds and had blue eyes and brown hair. He recorded working for a Logging Company out of Effie, MN. Sometime after registering for the draft Howard moved to the Boonville area of Oneida County, NY and was drafted into the service with service number 32211392. We don't know where he did his basic training but we do know that he was stationed at the California – Arizona Maneuver Area in the fall of 1943 and was also at Camp Coxcomb, California with the 15th Calvary. He was sent to the South Pacific in May 1944 aboard the U.S.S. General T.H. Bliss where he joined the 8th Calvary Regiment preparing for the invasion of the Philippines.

During the initial phases of the invasion of the Philippines in October 1944 the 8th Cavalry Regiment received a special assignment which separated them from much of the division. They landed at La Paz, Semar and helped ensure the enemy could not reinforce or maneuver between the islands. They remained on Samar into early January 1945 when they rejoined the division for the invasion of Luzon.

Pvt. Collins was killed on Luzon about a month into the fighting, on February 11, 1945, during the 8th Cavalry Regiment's dash toward Manila. He was laid to rest in the Ft. McKinley Cemetery, Block F, Row 9, Grave 36. Fort McKinley Cemetery is known today as the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Pvt. Collins was awarded his second Purple Heart posthumously. The local newspaper in Rome, NY carried a front page story about the 1st Cavalry driving deep into the city of Manila.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

8th Cavalry Regiment, US Army Divisions website accessed at https://armydivs.com/regiments/8th-cavalry-regiment.html on October 18, 2026.

"Board Calls Men For Army Tests", Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, February 12, 1941, pg. 7.

Dad's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/80224416/john_t-collins: accessed 17 Oct 2026), memorial page for John T. Collins (1 Apr 1886–20 Nov 1964), Find a Grave Memorial ID 80224416, citing Evergreen Cemetery, Walker, Cass County, Minnesota, USA; Maintained by Grace A. (contributor 47165283).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56751410/howard_m-collins: accessed 17 Oct 2026), memorial page for Pvt Howard M Collins (unknown–11 Feb 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56751410, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig, Southern Manila District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by MAJ Jimmy Cotton (contributor 48803557).

Minnesota Association of County Officers; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Official Marriage System

Minnesota. Minnesota Territorial Census Schedules, 1849-1855. St. Paul, MN, USA: Minnesota Historical Society, 2000. Microfilm.

Mom's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78674287/sylvia_minnie-collins: accessed 17 Oct 2026), memorial page for Sylvia Minnie Shofner Collins (8 Mar 1891–26 Jan 1939), Find a Grave Memorial ID 78674287, citing Evergreen Cemetery, Walker, Cass County, Minnesota, USA; Maintained by Grace A. (contributor 47165283).

National Archives at College Park; 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001; Cleary, Joseph W to Cramer Jr, William A (1 of 2), Record Group 117: Records of the American Battle Monuments Commission; Series: Headstone Inscription and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil; NAID: 168948071

National Archives at College Park; 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001; 1st Cavalry Division: 6-005 (1 of 2);Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office; Series: World War II Operations Reports; NAID: 403921726

National Archives at College Park; 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001; General T.H. Bliss (AP-131), 2/24/44 – 6/28/46; Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel; Series: Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities; NAID: 183422133

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138;Fiche__219;Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Army General Orders; NAID: 373973138

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138;Morning Reports for October 1943: Roll 265 (1 of 4); Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Morning Reports; NAID: 452880762

National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63138;Morning Reports for December 1943: Roll 34 (3 of 4); Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration Series: Morning Reports; NAID: 457772272

“Reinforcements Join In Mopping Up Manila”, Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, February 12, 1945, pg. 1.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Shingobee, Cass, Minnesota; Roll: T625_824; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 111

Year: 1930; Census Place: Turtle Lake, Cass, Minnesota; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0056; FHL microfilm: 2340817

Year: 1940; Census Place: Pine Lake, Cass, Minnesota; Roll: m-t0627-01912; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 11-39

Supporting Documents 

Below are various Morning Reports and other military documents from the National Archives that document some of his military history.