Remembering SGT David S. Collins.
A son of Pickens County, a husband and father, and a U.S. Army soldier whose name lives on in Post 12239.
Home in Pickens County
David Samuel Collins grew up in Pickens County, near the intersection of State Route 515 and Philadelphia Road. Military reporting identifies his hometown as Jasper, Georgia. His story belongs to this community as well as to the soldiers and family who knew him.
The Georgia General Assembly’s memorial resolution remembers his wife, Mara, their two children, James and Elizabeth, and his parents, Sammy Collins and Lynn Dean. A tribute held by the Fallen Heroes Project recalls his humor, loyalty to friends, and love for his family.
Service in Iraq
Collins served in the United States Army with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Fallen Heroes Project records that he was on his second tour in Iraq.
He died on April 9, 2006, in Ramadi, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was 24. An American Forces Press Service report states that a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat operations.
A name carried forward
In 2007, Georgia House Resolution 171, as passed by the House and Senate, dedicated the intersection of State Route 515 and Philadelphia Road as the SGT David Samuel Collins Memorial Interchange. The tribute places his name near the community where he grew up.
SGT David S. Collins VFW Post 12239 carries his name in Jasper. Through remembrance and service to fellow veterans, the post keeps his sacrifice part of our community’s continuing story.
Sources & remembrance
- Georgia memorial resolution — HR 171 (2007), pages 9 and 14 (opens in a new tab)
- American Forces Press Service — April 12, 2006 (DVIDS archive) (opens in a new tab)
- Fallen Heroes Project — David S. Collins remembrance (opens in a new tab)
- Military Times — David S. Collins memorial record (opens in a new tab)
The April 12, 2006, military report and the Military Times memorial identify Collins as Specialist (Spc.). Georgia’s 2007 memorial resolution and the Fallen Heroes Project use Sergeant (SGT). This page follows the state memorial and the post’s name; a promotion date has not been verified. The unit, hometown, age and date of death agree across these records. The second Iraq tour is documented in the Fallen Heroes Project tribute; exact deployment dates have not been confirmed.
Last verified 2026-09-09