John B Collins was the Bombardier in the Harvey Flight Crew. The crew began their final training with the 819th Bombardment Squadron in about April 1944 in Hawaii. In June 1944 they began combat duty with the 392nd Bombardment Squadron on Kwajalein. Their first targets would have been the Marianna Islands and Truk Atoll. Then in August 1944 the whole 30th Bombardment Group moved to Saipan. Most of the missions flown were against Iwo Jima and its surrounding islands.

The Harvey group finished their required 40 missions in Dec 1944 and returned Stateside for rest and reassignment. They returned and joined the 26th Bomb Squadron (in the 11th Bomb Group) in a training capacity after Feb 1945.