Cycling in Honor of Heroes

On Saturday during Soldier Ride the Hamptons, the grandson of Tom Collins, a Springs resident who played a crucial role as a cryptologist in World War II and died in 2011, will ride on Team Sam Scram, a group organized in Mr. Collins’s honor.

Brendan Collins, 40, had not found the time to participate in the ride until now, five years after Rachel Kleinberg, a cousin by marriage, formed the group. But this year, he has brought his wife and children from their home in Connecticut to watch him cycle.

In 1998 information came to light about the late Mr. Collins’s highly secret work in the Army as a cryptologist assigned to fly to Bletchley Park in England with the code-breaking machine the Dragon, which eventually decoded Nazi messages and defeated the Third Reich.

“He didn’t even know where he was going until he got there,” said Brendan Collins, recounting that when his grandfather landed overseas, confused about his whereabouts, the pilot turned to him and said, “I was just told to fly you here.”

Once in England, the late Mr. Collins became a part of the team that helped interpret Nazi messages. Before he died, Representative Tim Bishop commended him on the Congressional floor and the British government awarded him a certificate of recognition.

“He never told anybody. He didn’t breathe a word,” said his grandson. Mr. Collins admired his grandfather for his “to hell with you” attitude and ability to take his job seriously.

Shortly after Mr. Collins died, Ms. Kleinberg realized she wanted to cycle for him at Soldier Ride. She is an avid biker and rides from Springs to the Montauk School, where she is the librarian. The late Mr. Collins was also a supporter of Soldier Ride and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Ms. Kleinberg gathered locals and formed Team Sam Scram after the nickname the British gave Mr. Collins during the war. Brendan Collins’s son is also named Sam.

The team consists mainly of Mr. Collins’s former colleagues or acquaintances from the Springs Fire Department ambulance squad. Since its founding, the team has raised an estimated $65,000. 

Now with the youngest Mr. Collins riding, the event is turning into a family affair. Mike Collins, Brendan’s father, hasn’t ridden on the team, but has become an integral part of its development and helps to keep up morale. Each year, he cheers from the sidelines, holding up signs and driving by the riders to check on them.

“He just has this way of motivating people,” said Ms. Kleinberg. “He pushed us to raise money for this worthy cause and go the extra mile, so to speak.” 

Brendan Collins also isn’t much of a rider, but hopes the excitement of the event will push him through.

“I’m sure I’m going to be sore, but it’s nothing compared to what these guys are going through,” he said, referring to the soldiers.