Higgins Memorial Utah Beach

On June 6, 1944 the majority of Allied troops initially arriving on the Normandy Beaches landed in one of two craft: the British Landing Craft Assault (LCA) or the American Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP).
In fact some 1,089 LCVPs took part in D-Day.

Developed by Andrew Jackson Higgins in 1941, the LCVP was built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans. The Higgins Boat carried up to 36 troops, was capable of up to 12 knots and could be outfitted with a pair of Browning M1919 machine guns. The boats were crewed by four personnel.

By the time of the Normandy landings the LCVP had been used in every theatre of operations including Operation Torch in North Africa, landings in Italy, and in Southern France. It was also used in the Pacific theatre.

The memorial to Higgins, his boats and the men who rode ashore in them has been given by the people of France by the citizens of Columbus, Nebraska the birthplace of Andrew Jackson Higgins. The memorial here is a replica of a memorial built in Columbus in 2001, and is also a celebration of partnerships
between Columbus and Sainte Marie du Mont … two communities tied together by history heritage and freedom.