Among the American troops storming the beaches of Normandy June 6, 1944, was U.S. Army Technical Sgt. John Collins of Dormont, who took shrapnel in his leg while surviving D-Day.
He later was honored with the Silver Star Medal, the United Statesâ third-highest award for combat valor, and a Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained during the Allied invasion of Nazi-controlled France.
Members of his family take a great deal of pride in his service, and since his death in 1991, they have been taking care of the gravesite he shares with his wife, Hannah, at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Peters Township.