The Higgins Boat: Its Pivotal and Transformative Role in World War II and Beyond

In this detailed video, Dan Starks, founder of the National Museum of Military Vehicles, delves into the Higgins boat's crucial role in WWII, overcoming pre-war amphibious assault challenges. Highlighting its innovative design by Andrew Higgins, the video explains how the boat's unique hull facilitated beach landings and was key to the Pacific island-hopping campaign and European operations. Viewers will learn of the boat's evolution from the LCPL to the LCVP, with over 23,000 units produced to aid Allied forces.

The video features a specific Higgins boat, linking it to the USS Samuel Chase. It explores the boat's design, from its machine guns to post-war fiberglass use, and shifts focus to the human aspect of amphibious assaults, including the tactics used, the ordeal of seasickness, and the dire experiences of soldiers under enemy fire, underscored by personal stories like that of veteran Frank Vargo.

Higgins Boats were used in World War II, the Korean War and in the Vietnam War.

This video is a homage to the strategic innovation and bravery that marked amphibious warfare in WWII, inviting viewers to the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyoming for deeper insights into American freedom and veterans' sacrifices.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Introduction by Dan Starks, founder of the National Museum of Military Vehicles
4:28 - Discussion on Higgins' patented innovation from 1937
8:54 - Overview of the refined design and manufacturing of over 23,000 units
13:07 - Special mention of the USS Samuel Chase and its crew
16:47 - Origin of bells in ship design
20:59 - Moving toward the stern of the Higgins boat
25:16 - Focus on the Higgins boat
29:40 - Reflecting on D-Day challenges
33:15 - Serendipity and luck of the draw in historical context
36:27 - A son's book about his father's oral history and D-Day experiences