06/06/2026
“Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us.”
— President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1964
Eighty-two years ago today, the D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, united the land, air, and sea forces of the Allied armies in what became the largest amphibious invasion in military history.
A key figure behind that effort was New Orleans boat builder Andrew Higgins. Through Higgins Industries, he designed and produced the landing craft that helped Allied troops reach the beaches of Normandy and countless other locations throughout the war.
Working tirelessly—often 16 hours a day—Higgins transformed a small 50-person boatbuilding company into one of the largest manufacturers of military landing craft in the world. His workforce was also the first in New Orleans to be racially integrated. Employees included women, African Americans, older workers, people with disabilities, and white men who were not drafted into military service. Workers were paid equally according to their job classifications and together produced more than 20,000 boats by the end of the war.
Visit the grave of Andrew Higgins in Historic Metairie Cemetery and hear his story, along with those of many other notable New Orleanians, on one of our expert-guided cemetery tours.
🔗 Book your tour at https://prcno.org/new-orleans-cemetery-tours/
