Item: ONJR24APCB068
Original U.S. WWII General Gerald Higgins 101st Airborne Division Named Overseas Cap - Signed Letter of Provenance - Insignia Collection
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Original Items: One-of-kind Set. This is a fantastic part of United States World War Two Airborne history. A wonderful 101st Airborne set form a decorated General that served during WWII and the Korean war with provenance!
Gerald Joseph Higgins (August 29, 1909 – December 20, 1996) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of major general. During the Second World War, he served consecutively as the Chief of Staff and Assistant Division Commander, 101st Airborne Division, making him the youngest general officer in the Army Ground Forces at the age of 34.
He began his career as an enlisted man, ultimately received an appointment to the United States Military Academy and completed his career as a major general and commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in 1955.
Included in this set are the following pieces that belongs to General Higgins:
- Original U.S. WWII Overseas Cap with officer black/gold piping in size 7 1/8. The cap has a General's star claps back insignia to the front and it is named in penG.J. Higgins on the sweatband.
- Letter Dated May 10, 1984 signed by General Higgins. The letter is addressed to a Captain Ken Lazier and is clearly a response for military items the General had during World War Two. In the letter the General writes, "Thank you for your letter of May 6. You have a most interesting hobby." It closes with, "By rooting around I managed to come up with a couple of items, and hope they may serve the purpose in a small way."
- Original U.S. WWII 101st Airborne Division Screaming Eagles sleeve insignia.
- Original U.S. WWII Sterling Silver Glider Badge (pin back).
- Original U.S. WWII Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon Bar with three oak leaf clusters inside brass frame (pin back).
- QTY 2 Original Green Wool Embroidered Two Star General Epaulet covers.
- Official US Army Photo of General Higgins release on 5/3/54 (dated and stamped on the reverse)
- Original U.S. WWII Captains Bars Pinback
A wonderful 101st Airborne set form a decorated General that served during WWII and the Korean war with provenance!
Following the United States entry into World War II, Higgins was promoted to major on February 1, 1942, and to lieutenant colonel on October 1 that year. He then joined newly activated 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, which was part of the 101st Airborne Division under Major General William C. Lee. Higgins participated in the early regimental training at Camp Toccoa until August 1942 when he joined General Lee's divisional headquarters as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G-3).
Higgins was appointed Divisional Chief of Staff in March 1943 and promoted to colonel on June 1, 1943. He deployed with the division to England in January 1944 and spent next five months in intensive ground training. Meanwhile, Major General Lee was relieved of command for reasons of ill health and was succeeded by Maxwell D. Taylor. The 101st Division participated in the Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944, during which the Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier General Don Pratt, was killed in a glider accident while taking part in the landing.
General Taylor chose Higgins as Pratt's replacement, and promoted him to the temporary rank of brigadier general on August 1, 1944, making him the youngest general officer in the Army Ground Forces at the age of 34. Higgins took part in the Operation Market Garden during September 1944, the Ardennes operations in winter 1944/1945, and finished his tenure with the 101st Airborne Division in the Bavarian Alps. He and General Taylor accepted the surrender of German field marshal Albert Kesselring and subsequently participated in the occupation duties in Germany.
For his service with the 101st Airborne Division, Higgins was decorated with the Silver Star, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal. He was also decorated by the Allies, and received numerous decorations including the Legion of Honour, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Belgian Order of the Crown, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm and the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau.
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