Billy Murl Collins was one of Barstow's young men who answered the call to serve his country before the United States entered World War II. Collins was born on September 4, 1922, at Glendale, Maricopa County, Arizona. His mother, Lona Brooks Collins, was a homemaker and his father, Oscar Collins, a rancher. His father served in the military during World War I. 

The family moved to Barstow, California, when his father took a job as a stationary engineer for a steam railroad. Billy graduated from Union High in Barstow in 1939 and enlisted in the Navy on October 10 at Los Angeles at the age of seventeen years old. His decision to join the Navy reflected the dedication and sense of duty that would ultimately make him one of Barstow's most honored servicemen.
 

After enlistment, Collins trained as a sailor and advanced to the rank of Seaman First Class. His duties included naval drill operations, steering and signaling, standing watch, and gunnery duties. He was assigned to one of the most powerful ships in the Pacific Fleet on December 20, 1940, the battleship U.S.S. Arizona (BB-39). The Arizona was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, serving as a key component of America's naval presence in the Pacific.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. U.S.S. Arizona was struck by multiple bombs during the assault. One bomb triggered a catastrophic explosion of the ship's forward magazines, sinking the Arizona and taking the lives of 1,177 officers and sailors. The U.S.S. Arizona became one of the most enduring symbols of the attack and of the early sacrifices made by American service members that day. 

Seaman First Class Billy Collins was among those lost aboard the Arizona. At just nineteen years of age, he became one of more than 900 crew members whose remains were never recovered from the sunken battleship. Today, the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial stands above the resting place of those sailors and Marines, preserving their memory and reminding future generations of the cost of freedom. Collins' sacrifice placed him among the first Americans to give their lives in the nation's largest conflict of the twentieth century.

In recognition of his service and sacrifice, Collins was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Star, and the World War II Victory Medal. Most importantly to the Barstow community, his memory lives on through the Bill Collins Memorial VFW Post 2143, which proudly bears his name. The post serves as a lasting tribute to a hometown sailor whose courage, service, and ultimate sacrifice continue to inspire veterans, families, and citizens of Barstow.

For more information on the U.S.S. Arizona, we recommend starting your research at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arizona.