John Francis Collins Graduation Portrait

John Francis Collins was a World War 2 bomber pilot who performed heroically and at times miraculously during his tour of duty in the South Pacific cut short by appendicitis during a bombing mission which coincided with his promotion to captain on his 21st birthday. He had one of the highest number of bomber missions of World War 2 and received numerous decorations and awards. His biography can be found here John Collins.

This well preserved photograph features young John at 20 years of age which I assume was taken upon graduation from flight school in December 1942. The number of American survivors of World War 2 has dwindled to barely 100,000 as of this writing of the 16.7 million who served, making these mementos more treasured.

Condition
Very Good with some color fading and a couple of light creases in the corner.

Dimensions
Height: 14 inches
Width: 12 inches