BALTIMORE — U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Anthony Brown praised the Army’s decision on Wednesday to grant Bowie State ROTC student and Second Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III an honorary promotion to First Lieutenant.
Collins was killed two days after his commissioning in 2017.
“No family should have to endure the heartache felt by the Collins family since the tragic death of their son. This senseless loss was deeply disturbing. Securing for Second Lieutenant Collins the rightful recognition of the contributions he made as an ROTC student at Bowie State University and the impact he most certainly would have made during his military service was overdue. We do not know what would have been, but we do know that his memory will stand as a reminder of the duty, honor and sacrifice borne daily by our servicemen on and off the battlefield,” the lawmakers said. “We will continue to fight for the benefits and recognition due to Second Lieutenant Collins and his family, and will work to protect future families from such circumstances.”
