Another “Landing Day” For Higgins Boat

Photo courtesy of the National WWII Museum

If you’ve watched the award-winning film Saving Private Ryan, you’ve seen a Higgins Boat.

In the opening scene of the iconic film, Tom Hanks, as Captain John Miller, is landing on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion — arriving in a Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or Higgins Boat. This revolutionary craft was invented by 2019 National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductee Andrew Higgins.

On April 27, the Higgins Boat made another landing at the NIHF Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, as an interactive, outdoor exhibit in Dulany Gardens.

The LCVP contributed significantly to the success of the U.S. military in World War II; it’s no surprise the movie detailed this event using real Higgins Boats.

Saving Private Ryan director Steven Spielberg wanted to replicate the Omaha Beach landings as accurately as possible, spending roughly $12 million for the scene. The scene required 1,500 extras and 10 LCVPs.

Visitors to the NIHF Museum will now have a chance to experience an LCVP up close. They’ll be encouraged to climb aboard the boat, where they can snap a photo and explore what the 36-foot-long watercraft is made of!

Visitors can then head inside the NIHF Museum to learn more about Higgins’ impact on WWII and the Higgins Boat design. The boat will be on display through July 27.

You can find more information about visiting the Higgins Boat exhibit and NIHF Museum at invent.org/museum/plan-your-visit.

Photo courtesy of the National WWII Museum