Patrick Collins

Captain, U. S. Army

Distinguished Service Cross

GENERAL ORDERS:
War Department, General Orders No. 23 (1919)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Infantry), [then Sergeant] Patrick Collins (ASN: 48684), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 167th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, A.E.F., near Sergy, France, 31 July 1918.
Being informed that a wounded man was lying in "No Man's Land". Lieutenant Collins immediately volunteered and, with Private Pitts, went to his aid. The intense fire of the enemy necessitated crawling the entire distance. While on the return trip the wounded man was hit by a machine-gun bullet and instantly killed, but these two men brought in the dead body, crawling with great difficulty over the shell-torn ground.

On 16 April 1919 awarded the French Croix de Guerre with gilt star.