Memorial Day: Higgins National Memorial Park

Each year we take a day to remember those who died in active military service. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May as flags line our streets and gravesites are adorned with flowers.

For Rural Resurrection, it is a good day to look at how towns memorialize their local heroes. Not just to applaud towns for their good design of the memorials, but also for the effort it takes to fundraise and construct these memorials.

The first one that we’ll review on Rural Resurrection is Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial in Columbus, Nebraska.

Who Was Andrew Jackson Higgins?

Andrew Higgins was a successful businessman and boat builder who was born in Columbus. Although Higgins lost his father at the tender age of seven and was expelled from Creighton Prep High School, nothing could slow down his interior drive. Higgins would go on to start his own company, Higgins Lumber and Export Co. in 1922.

Higgins Lumber and Export Co. in 1922 would become quite sizeable as Higgins amassed a large fleet of ships to ship out and import wood to the United States. However, this first business would ultimately fail due to competition and declining world trade. But this wouldn’t stop Higgins, who would continue to pursue his passion for boats and boat building. He would keep the boat-building part of his business, which would flourish into something bigger and better than his already sizeable efforts.

Higgins Industries started out as a small boat manufacturing business, but it would quickly become one of the biggest industries in the world. At its height, Higgins Industries would employ eighty thousand workers. At the heart of this growth was the “Higgins Boat” (the LVCP), an infantry landing craft that was a giant leap forward in amphibious landing craft.

Higgins would be lauded for efforts in building LVCPs, as well as a number of other items that helped the war effort, including PT Boats, torpedo tubes, gun turrets, and smoke generators. General Dwight Eisenhower once stated, “Andrew Higgins … is the man who won the war for us. … If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs, we never could have landed over an open beach. The whole strategy of the war would have been different.” Even Adolf Hitler recognized Higgins’ efforts in ship production, calling him the “New Noah”.

Roots of the Higgins National Memorial

Teacher Jerry Meyer and his students at Columbus High School wanted to salute Andrew Higgins and his contribution to the war effort. After reading about Higgins, Mr. Meyer and his class decided to create a memorial to Higgins in Columbus. They were able to acquire the services of Gilmore & Associates, who donated the engineering, surveying and architectural services needed to create the project.

But like most projects, the entire project couldn’t be done through in-kind work alone. They had to do a significant amount of fundraising. For help in the fundraising, Meyer reached out to retired teacher and Korean War veteran Chris Dixon. Dixon had a tall task ahead of him as the finance officer for the project. He and his wife Loretta were able to acquire donations from a number of local banks. But they needed more to make the project happen.

This is where the story gets interesting. Dixon was able to take in the National WWII Museum in New Orleans with some students. While there he saw a memorial surrounded with bricks that were personalized names of veterans that helped fundraise for the project. While on the bus ride home Dixon discussed the possibility of using these bricks for the Higgins Memorial with his wife. They figured that if they could sell 1,000 bricks at $50 each, they

Dixon saw a memorial surrounded by bricks with people’s names on them. It’s a common method of fundraising for projects. On the bus ride home, Dixon and his wife estimated if they could sell 1,000 bricks for $50 each, then they could finance the project. Overhearing the conversation, someone in the seat in front of them handed over a check for the first brick.

Since then, they’ve sold over 4,000 bricks to help fund the memorial.

Three Phases

The Higgins National Memorial was constructed in three different phases. The first of course centered on Higgins with a life-sized replica of a Higgins boat made of steel. The boat rests on a concrete platform surrounded by sand with the ramp down to represent being on an invasion beachhead. Sand samples from the 57 invasion beaches that these boats landed on is mixed in with the sand surrounding the LVCP.

At that time, they added a plaque and a historical marker about him to the site as well.

The second phase, dedicated in 2002, focused on veterans. Bronze figures of WWII, Korea and Vietnam War soldiers were added to the memorial, along with one of Higgins himself. Flags representing each of the military branches and each state and territory were also added to the memorial along with more donor bricks.

Amidst the construction of the second phase of the memorial, the nation was impacted by the events of 9/11. With a desire to memorialize those who lost their life that day, a sculpture was erected as part of the third phase. It was created with steel from the fallen towers. A large bronze Freedom Eagle with an eight-foot wingspan sits atop the steel. The eagle was crafted by the same artist, Fred Hoppe, who created the bronze statues in the second phase.

Work Does Not Stop on the Higgins Memorial

The Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial Foundation was created to maintain and make improvements to the memorial. The Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that continues to raise funding for the memorial.

In 2018 the Foundation landed a $31,000 grant from the Platte County Visitor Improvement Fund to help pay for renovations. The project included landscaping, irrigation system improvements, additional sand and refinishing of the sculptures of Phase 2. The Higgins boat was refinished as well, with improvements made for durability.

But they are continuing to fundraise. A sign has been erected on the site that provides visitors with information on how to get to the donation page on the Foundation’s website in order to donate. Notice not only the web address on the sign below, but also the QR code. It is important to stay current in ways to get to your donation site. The webpage provides a PayPal link for donations and additional information about the memorial bricks as well.

Higgins Memorial Fundraising Sign

The Result

This memorial to Andrew Higgins, veterans, and those impacted by the events of 9/11 is a tremendous accomplishment. Local representatives estimate that 35% of the over 5,000 visitors to the memorial each year are from out of state.

Provided below are more images of the Higgins National Memorial. If you know of another memorial in a rural community that deserves recognition, let me know in the comments section.

Higgins Memorial Major Donors

Lifesize Higgins Boat Replica

Andrew Higgins Historical Marker

Statue of Higgins

Freedom Memorial in Columbus