Horace L. Gorman Collin

Certainly! In the role of Horace L. Gorman Collin as a truck driver in the Red Ball Express, he would be a key member of D-Company, responsible for driving one of the famed truck convoys that supplied the Allied forces during their advance through Europe after the breakout from the D-Day beaches in Normandy in 1944.

Horace's character would be portrayed as a skilled and experienced truck driver, adept at navigating the challenging terrain and unpredictable conditions of the European theater. His knowledge of the convoy system and his ability to effectively transport crucial supplies would make him an essential asset to D-Company and the success of the Red Ball Express.

As a driver, Horace would face numerous challenges along the way, such as enemy attacks, road hazards, and logistical obstacles. However, his determination, resourcefulness, and dedication to the mission would enable him to overcome these challenges and ensure the timely delivery of supplies to the front lines.

Horace's character would also highlight the camaraderie and teamwork within D-Company. He would forge strong bonds with his fellow truck drivers and support personnel, relying on each other for assistance and protection during their perilous journeys.

Beyond his role as a truck driver, Horace's character would also embody the spirit of the African-American soldiers who served in the Red Ball Express. He would confront racial discrimination and prejudice, both within the military and from the local civilian population, but would rise above these challenges and prove his worth through his exceptional driving skills and unwavering dedication to the mission.

Overall, Horace L. Gorman Collin's character in the Red Ball Express as a truck driver for D-Company would showcase his essential role in supplying the Allied forces and underscore the significant contributions of African-American servicemen during World War II.

## Apperances

Horace L. Gorman Collin is a tall, light-brown African-American man in his late 20s with brown eyes and blackish-brown hair. He has a shaved head and a neatly trimmed beard. In terms of attire, Horace is typically seen wearing the standard uniform of a military truck driver. This uniform consists of olive drab trousers, a khaki shirt with a knaki belt, and a matching olive drab jacket with darkish red M1936 suspenders. He proudly displays his affiliation with the renowned convoy system by wearing a Red Ball Express patch on his shoulder. Horace's ensemble is completed by a worn leather cap, knaki M1936 gaiters legging, and M-1943 double-buckle boots.

## History

**Horace Lesses Gorman Collin** was born on May 6th, 1919, in North Carolina, America, to David Collin, a soldier who fought in World War I, and Addy Jones Collin, a housewife, and he was raised in a Christian household; however, tragedy struck when his father died of unknown causes during the war, causing his mother to develop complicated grief disorder, struggle to remember her son's identity, and become a mad woman who was unable to take care of Horace, leading to his grandmother taking care of him to keep him separate from his mother who was also cared for by maids; Horace was an only child who lived on a rural farm near a cotton field, with his paternal grandparents, Yvonne and Carol Collins were cotton farmers, living nearby, and his maternal grandmother, Zakaria, who was herbalist in African-American community and she was married to a Black engineer Steam engine operator named Ricky at a stream factory; Horace developed a passion for mechanical skills at a young age, and he was trained by his step-grandfather, Ricky, from the age of 11.

Horace, a child prodigy who was homeschooled by his grandmother due to fears of racism discrimination outside, was shocked to find that his first school experience was segregated by skin tones, leading to him being bullied for his dark skin tone, getting punched by a white kid, and being chased by white kids while walking to school, ultimately causing his grandmother to stay home with him; despite his experiences, Horace found going to school annoying due to many black students cheating on tests and the lack of a playground at the black separate school; he later became a mechanic and repairman at a juke joint to help Black owners with their cars, where he met Black girl from the North, name Friday Leborn in 1939 while helping her father, Cena Leborn, on a limo, and they started dating just before the outbreak of World War II, which Horace dreamed of joining the army, just like his father, and if he survived, he wanted to see his mother again and promised Friday he would return safely, while Friday joined all-black factory workers to create weapons for the war, and Horace could only join the All-Black army, fighting in Normandy in 1944.

## Trivia

* Horace L. Gorman Collin was one of four of Colored or African-Americans in D-Company.
* Horace's main martial arts of Boxing skills, and but used of equipment of Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless.
* Horace has the blood type O.
* Horace favorite color is Yellow.