Pryor Donald Collins was born on September 19, 1917 in Grady County, Georgia. He resided in Grady County, Georgia prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on April 5, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Married. Pryor served as a Technician Fourth Grade, 835th Signal Service Battalion, U.S. Army during World War II.

Pryor was a passenger on C-46A "Stork" #42-96721 that was assigned to the 1333rd Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force. C-46A #42-96721 took off, with a crew of 4 & 9 passengers, from Kunming, China on a cargo mission to Chabua, India. They were last contacted by radio and after that were not seen nor heard from again. It was noted that along the route planes were experiencing severe icing. Pryor was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China but his surname is inscribed as Collings.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov