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| | Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Columbus in Platte County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains) |
Andrew Jackson Higgins
(1886-1952)
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By Michael James, May 30, 2008 | |
| | | 1. Andrew Jackson Higgins Marker | | |
Inscription. Andrew Jackson Higgins, designer and manufacturer of World War II landing craft known as "Higgins boats," was born August 28, 1886, at Columbus, Nebraska. His parents were John Gonegle Higgins, a prominent lawyer and judge, and Annie Long O'Connor Higgins. Both parents are buried in Columbus. Higgins attended schools in Omaha and served in the Nebraska National Guard. In 1906 he moved to the South, entering the lumber and shipping business.
Higgins's expertise would win him fame in World War II, when Higgins Industries of New Orleans produced more than 20,000 boats. Many were LCVPs (Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel), a key to the success of Allied amphibious invasions, including D-Day on June 6, 1944. Higgins boats were also used in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
Higgins died on August 1, 1952, and is buried at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans. In 1964 Dwight D. Eisenhower said Higgins was "the man who won the war for us." In 2000 the National D-Day Museum opened in New Orleans, honoring Higgins and the city for their vital contributions to the war effort.
Erected by Columbus High School Students and Staff, Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 424.)
Location. 41° 25.126′ N, 97° | | | | 
By Michael James, May 30, 2008 | |
| | | 2. Statue of Andrew Jackson Higgins | | |
22.107′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Nebraska, in Platte County. Marker can be reached from U.S. 30 0.3 miles south of 6th St, on the right when traveling south. Click for map. Marker is located inside Pawnee Park. Marker is in this post office area: Columbus NE 68601, United States of America.
More about this marker. Marker is part of a larger area dedicated to Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Higgins boat including a replica Higgins boat and a statue of the man. The Memorial itself originated as a service-learning project by students at Columbus High School.
Also see . . . Higgins Memorial Website. Includes biography of Andrew Jackson Higgins and the history of the Higgins Boat. (Submitted on August 1, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
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By Michael James, May 30, 2008 | |
| | | 3. Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial Park | | A life-sized steel replica of an LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel), better known as a Higgins boat, is the focal point of this memorial. These boats carried American soldiers ashore during World War II, the Korean, and Vietnam War. Three life-size bronze soldiers, representing each of these wars, are seen emerging from the boat. A complete history of each one is included at the memorial. | | |
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By Michael James, May 30, 2008 | |
| | | 4. Sculpture at the Higgins Memorial | | Steel from the World Trade Center is included in this sculpture. Perched on a 30-foot steel beam, a 400 pound bronze eagle symbolizing freedom, created by artist Fred Hoppe, spreads his 7-foot wings as he circles the memorial. | | |
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| Credits. This page originally submitted on August 1, 2008, by Michael James of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. This page has been viewed 1,330 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. Submitted on August 1, 2008, by Michael James of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page. | | Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print |
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