NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — In front of 1755 St. Charles Ave., there’s a plaque that includes the phrase, “…the man who won the war for us.” It’s a quote from President Dwight Eisenhower, who also served as the Supreme Allied Commander during WWII.
Eisenhower’s words refer to New Orleans boat builder Andrew Higgins, and the plaque is located in front of one of Higgins’ plants in the city.
“Higgins made a lot of different boats, but this is the one that was used most prevalently,” Kimberly Guise told WGNO News. Guise is the Senior Curator for the National World War II Museum. “And the one that became known as the Higgins Boat.”
Guise was standing in front of a replica of an LCVP, a Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel. But better known as a Higgins Boat, the landing craft was indispensable for its ability to carry troops in shallow water and deliver them from ships to beaches around the world during the war.
Higgins designed the boats at his office on St. Charles Avenue. But his company operated seven facilities around the city including one where Delgado Community College is currently located in Mid-City and along the Intracoastal Waterway where Trinity Yachts now makes some of the most luxurious boats on the water.
“These boats, believe it or not, were made of wood, and for that reason very few of them exist today,” Guise says. In fact, the WWII Museum’s boat is a replica, but it was constructed from an original set of plans from Higgins’ company. A few of the pieces of the boat are original, including the steel ramp.
To learn more about Andrew Higgins, his workers, and their impact on WWII and the D-Day invasion, watch the story in the video player at the top of this page.
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