COLUMBUS, Neb. (WOWT) - On this day in 1886, the designer of the boats that carried soldiers to the beaches of Normandy was born in Columbus.

Andrew Jackson Higgins, who was raised in Omaha, designed the iconic landing craft, known as the Higgins Boat.

His invention played a key role in allied victories, including the D-Day invasion at Normandy.

It allowed troops to land on open beaches and get off the boats quickly.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower once credited Higgins as “the man who won the war for us.”

From humble Nebraska beginnings, Higgins’ ingenuity helped change the course of world history.

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