The Higgins boat is one of the iconic vessels of World War II. Andrew Higgins, center, developed several kinds of landing craft that were invaluable during World War II. His landing craft were used in every major amphibious assault of World War II, from the shores of Europe to the Pacific islands. National World War II MuseumBorn in Nebraska in 1886, Higgins ran newspaper routes and started a lawn-mowing company as a child. In one instance, Navy officials expressed interest in seeing a design for a new 56-foot tank landing craft three days before a scheduled visit to see another type of landing craft.

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