FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Chambliss, Isakson, Westmoreland Praise Congressional Approval of Legislation to Name Post Office in Honor of Lt. Robert Wilson Collins

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson R-Ga., and U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga.-03, today praised Congressional approval of legislation to name the U.S. Post Office located at 100 Commerce Drive in Tyrone, Ga., in honor of First Lieutenant Robert Wilson Collins.

"Nothing we can do could ever repay the debt we owe to Lt. Collins and thousands of young Americans like him," said Chambliss. "But this will ensure that his name lives on, not just in his friends' and family's hearts, but in the very heart of his hometown."

"First Lieutenant Collins served without desire for credit, but on behalf of his country and everything that we stand for," Isakson said. "Naming this post office after him is one small way to honor the sacrifice he made to make the United States and Georgia a better place."

"First Lieutenant Robert Wilson Collins was an American hero whose sacrifice will never be forgotten," stated Westmoreland. "Although only a small token to honor sacrifice, I hope commemorating his valor and bravery in his hometown will allow his friends and family to keep his memory alive for generations to come."

First Lieutenant Robert Collins of Tyrone, Ga., served in Iraq as an officer in B Company, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Ga. While in Iraq, his unit was charged with improving security and the quality of life for the Iraqi people. He and his men also provided security for the recent, successful Iraqi elections. Lt. Collins died April 7, 2010, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle on the streets of Mosul, Iraq. He was a graduate of West Point.

###