Andrew Higgins built boats that could "crunch through driftwood, bounce over logs, climb a beach," and "wham up on a sloping concrete sea wall." In World War II, that was exactly what was needed to get soldiers and Jeeps from the ocean to land. This biography for young readers traces the invention of the legendary Higgins boat--and the adventurous childhood of the remarkable man behind it.

“This is an excellent examination of one of the most important Allied naval weapons of the Second World War.”—HistoryOfWar.org The Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel—LCVP for short, or simply the “Higgins boat” to most of its users—was one of the keystones of victory in the Second World War. Like the army’s Jeep or the Air Forces C-47 transport, it served in almost every theatre of war, performing unglamorous but vital service in the Allied cause. Derived from a humble workboat, the Higgins boatbuilding company designed a brilliantly simple craft that performed its role so well that over 23,000 of them were constructed—indeed, a high proportion of all the troops landed on enemy beaches came ashore from LCVPs, an achievement that led General Eisenhower to describe it as “the boat that won the war.” As Eisenhower had more experience of major amphibious operations than any other commander, it is a judgment to be taken seriously. This book combines the first in-depth history of the development and employment of the type, with a detailed description of its construction, machinery, performance and handling, based on the author’s first-hand experience masterminding the restoration of a wartime example for his museum. Well-illustrated with plans and photographs, it will be of interest to modelmakers and enthusiasts, both military and naval. “An invaluable record for military historians and the designers, builders and operators of the successor boats. The photographs and drawings of every imaginable aspect of the LVCPs are beyond price. A magnificent contribution to both naval history and the future planning of amphibious operations.”—Ausmarine

"It's always too early to quit." That could have been the motto of Andrew Jackson Higgins, the man who never gave up in his quest to design and provide the perfect boats needed for important missions during World War II. It was his determination and perseverance that led to the use of the Higgins' boats for the important D-Day invasion and, eventually, to the end of the war. In What If Higgins Had Given Up?, children learn that it often takes perseverance and that "never-give-up" attitude to reach our goals in life. Even as a child, that important character trait was evident in the life of Andrew Higgins. From his successful lawn mowing business to the boat he built in his family basement and carried outside by removing bricks in the basement wall, Andrew's childhood was filled with similar stories of determination. That same attitude of keeping on, even when facing obstacles, continued through countless ventures in Higgins' adult life, as well. The famous Higgins' D-Day boats in World War II were a result of that perseverance and prompted President Eisenhower to say, "It was Andrew Jackson Higgins who won the war for us." What If Higgins Had Given Up? - The Story of the WWII D-Day Boats is the fourth in a series of children's books about the amazing Unsung Heroes featured at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas. Through Higgins' story and those of other Unsung Heroes, the Center helps students, educators and communities recognize the value of each person in effecting positive change in the world. Cathy Werling, the author, is an award-winning and recently retired elementary educator. Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her part time work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Through her series of books about these humble heroes, Cathy inspires elementary children to also be those people who make a positive difference in the lives of others.

From the earliest days of his thirty-four-year military career, Victor "Brute" Krulak displayed a remarkable facility for applying creative ways of fighting to the Marine Corps. He went on daring spy missions, was badly wounded, pioneered the use of amphibious vehicles, and masterminded the invasion of Okinawa. In Korea, he was a combat hero and invented the use of helicopters in warfare. In Vietnam, he developed a holistic strategy in stark contrast to the Army's "Search and Destroy" methods -- but when he stood up to LBJ to protest, he was punished. And yet it can be argued that all of his these accomplishments pale in comparison to what he did after World War II and again after Korea: Krulak almost single-handedly stopped the U.S. government from abolishing the Marine Corps.