[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10375]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE SERVICE OF SERGEANT THOMAS L. COLLINS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 9, 2010

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
intellect and dedication of Sergeant Thomas L. Collins, a lifelong 
resident of East Hampton, New York, who received a medal and 
certificate of recognition from the British government for his service 
as a cryptologist during WWII. So secret was his work during the war, 
Sgt. Collins' invaluable contributions were not recognized and made 
public until the 1990s.
  After distinguishing himself during training at Arlington Hall, the 
U.S. cryptography center, he was chosen to escort the Allies' most 
advanced code-breaking machine, the Dragon, to Britain in 1944. Sgt. 
Collins carried a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver at all times during 
his journey, a testament to the dangerous nature of his mission and the 
valuable cargo he guarded.
  In October 1944, after landing in Scotland, he and the Dragon were 
transported by rail and truck to the renowned Allied cryptography 
center at Bletchley Park, and immediately put to use as Allied forces 
had their first battle on German soil, at Aachen. All told, Sgt. 
Collins used the Dragon to decode 143 Nazi messages. He was also 
instrumental in designing a successor to the original Dragon, which was 
credited with hastening the defeat of the Nazis by many weeks.
  Madam Speaker, heroism has many faces, and the labors of dedicated 
code breakers hundreds of miles from the front lines saved many lives 
by providing our fighting forces the best intelligence available. Sgt. 
Collins is a living reminder of the varied contributions made by 
members of the Greatest Generation in defending freedom. I humbly join 
the British Government in honoring the wartime service of Sgt. Thomas 
L. Collins.

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