Captain, USS WISCONSIN  3/11/47-7/1/48

Higgins was born in Madison, Wisconsin 13 August 1899. He attended high school in the city before his appointment to the US Naval Academy from Wisconsin in 1918. He graduated and was commissioned Ensign in June 1922. He was assigned to the USS MISSISSIPPI, USS MARBLEHEARD, USS NOLOMIS, USS RALEIGH, USS PHILIP, USS MEDUSA, USS MELVILLE, USS ARGONNE and was Communications Officer aboard the USS PENNSYLVANIA. He commanded the Destroyer Divisions 22,23 and 24, Destroyer Squadron 6, Destroyer Division 11 serving at various times aboard the destroyers MURY, FANNING and AULT. For his services in command of Destroyer Division 23 he was awarded the Navy Cross “for extraordinary heroism as Commander Destroyer Division 23 engaged in the New Georgia Islands Operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands Area from 30 June to 13 July 1943”. In May 1945 he was transferred to Task Flotilla 3 as Commander in Destroyers, Pacific Fleet. He led his destroyer flotilla in attacks against units of the Japanese fleet and shore installations in the Iwo Jima operation, the first and second Tokyo raids, the Kyushu air strikes, the Okinawa operation, and the Minami Daito Shima and Chichi Jima bombardments. In the face of intense and determined air attacks, ships of his flotilla destroyed numerous enemy aircraft to protect the carriers and maintain the offensivepower of the warships and aircraft of the task force. He received a second Legion of Merit for exceptional meritorious conduct as commander of a destroyer screen in a fast carrier task group from January to April 1945. Detached from that command in November 1945, Captain Higgins returned to the section, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, DC. He served as Chief of Staff and Aide to the commandant, Fourth Naval District, Philadelphia, PA until 11 March 1947 when he was ordered to command the USS WISCONSIN.