THE TERRIBLE BATTLE OF Gerald Joseph Higgins (August 29, 1909 – December 20, 1996).

THE TERRIBLE BATTLE OF 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.

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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