Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class William Sykes | 240328-N-XK809-1030 BEND, Ore. (March 28, 2024) Pallbearers bring the coffin of...... read more read more
BEND, Ore. – Relatives, friends, veterans, and active-duty service members gathered on March 28 at Eastmont Church in Bend, Ore., to honor retired Chief Radioman Richard Higgins, a Pearl Harbor survivor, with a memorial service following military honors at Deschutes Memorial Gardens.
“I spent the better part of the last two decades conveying who my grandfather was as a Pearl Harbor survivor and a veteran,” said Angela Norton, Higgins’ granddaughter, during the eulogy at the memorial service. “I'm so proud of his service and the hero he was to so many of us.”
Higgins, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1939 to 1959, was a radioman aboard a PBY Catalina aircraft during the Pearl Harbor attack and later served in the Korean War.
“He wasn’t an eloquent speaker but this sweet, kind guy from the dust bowl of Oklahoma loved to tell stories about his life and especially stories about his experiences in World War II,” said Vicki Bolling, Higgins’ daughter, during the service. “People seemed drawn to hear these first-hand accounts and through these conversations, we all had our eyes and our hearts opened to a generation of men and women who are willing to lay down their lives for our freedom.”
Norton recalled her grandfather’s eagerness to share his wartime experiences, especially with students in Orange County, Hawaii, and Bend. “He would always say, ‘Freedom isn’t free. If you lose it, it’s almost impossible to get it back and if we don’t learn from our history, we’re doomed to repeat it.’ she said.
She reflected on the significance of commemorating the Pearl Harbor attacks with her grandfather and how his modesty contrasted with the admiration he received each December 7.
“He would have been shocked to see all this honor bestowed upon him because as he often said, he was not the hero,” said Norton. “The heroes were those who never came home, but Gramps, you are our hero and a hero to so many of us.”
Higgins, born on July 24, 1921, in Magnum, Oklahoma, died at 102 on March 19, 2024, in Bend, Ore.
| Date Taken: | 03.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2024 15:34 |
| Story ID: | 467932 |
| Location: | BEND, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 187 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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