Higgins Memorial Project

August 18, 2001 Evening at Central Community College Columbus, NE

Photo 1: Guests arriving
Photo 2-3: Andrée Higgins Stefferud and Dawn Higgins Murphy being ushered to their seats by Chris Dixon
Photo 4-5: The crowd gathering and selling of memorabilia.
Photo 6: Dr. Harrison Cass, Jr. Superintendent of Columbus Public Schools
Photo 7-8: The Higgins family looking on and enjoying their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers evening.
Photo 9: Jerry Strahan - biographer of Andrew Jackson Higgins
Photo 10-17: The evening speakers - Lieutenant Colonel William Cook representing the Commandant of the Marine Corp, (picture to come) Captain James C. Taylor Stratcom representing the U.S. Navy, State Senator Jennie Robak, Dennis Duffy, Columbus City Council, Merlyn Lindahl, Commander Legion Post 84, Glenda Galilick of Central Community College, Creighton University representative, Postmaster Ron Riley, David Thomas President and founder of The Higgins Classic Boat Association
Photo 18-19: Dawn Higgins Murphy and David Stefferud saying a few words.
Photo 20-21: Entertainment by the New World Singers, director Fred Ritter, accompanied by Carol Lee Wurdeman and the Girls from the Jerry's class singing the Higgins Victory March
Photo 23: Veteran Art Gersib made the trip to the stage to say a few words. His first words - "I'm here". As this webmaster sat behind Art and his family during the presentation, I heard those words with a double meaning. Before the program, Art was asked if he would get up to say a few words. It was hard for him and he wasn't sure if he could. With tears, his daughter told me that he was having a hard time with this - the emotions of remembering were high for Art and the veterans. As he spoke, he told of some planes flying overhead. They were flying too low. They realized they were Japanese planes - they were shooting and they were flying too low. Art paused ... if they were flying just a little higher, he wouldn't be here ... "I'm here". Stories like this could be told by the many veterans that sat and listened to Art's story. Thank you, Art, for sharing your story.