The museum came into existence partly because of the flat-bottomed boats made in New Orleans by Andrew Jackson Higgins. These originally were used to maneuver through bayous, but it was found that they could just as easily be used to deliver troops directly to a beach.
By 1943, some 92% of the Navy's ships were these so-called Higgins Boats (of course, they were quite small compared to other ships) and many were used at D-Day.
General Eisenhower was quoted saying that they "won the war for us."
Historian Stephen E. Ambrose taught at the University of New Orleans and had the idea of having a "small" museum that was focused on D-Day. That "small" museum has frown to the present "large" one.
Again, Next trip to Nawlins. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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