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“The Boat That Won The War”: The Craftsman Special Documentary
November 11, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
“The boat that won the war”: The Craftsman special documentary
Join us for a special Veterans Day community screening of the new Craftsman Documentary “The Boat that Won the War”
Saturday, November 11
Eureka Theater (612 F Street)
Doors at 7pm, show at 7:30pm
Admission is free and non-ticketed
Guests will also be treated to a live, post-screening interview with Eric Hollenbeck of Blue Ox Millworks.
Many historians say it was the iconic design of the Higgins Boat that changed the direction of WWII. The boat’s ability to land troops in shallow water and then allow soldiers to exit through a front ramp was incredibly innovative in its time. However, the boats were made of wood and very few remain intact today. But one very special relic spent the summer of 2023 in the City of Eureka, CA under the care and protection of a beloved local business, Blue Ox Millworks.
Eric Hollenbeck, co-founder of Blue Ox Millworks and star of The Craftsman television show, led a unique preservation project, preparing a rare WWII Higgins Boat that had lain dormant at the bottom of Lake Shasta for over 50 years, and was once used as a family vacation boat, for its future honored display at the National Guard Museum in Seward, Nebraska.
The Higgins Boat
Many attribute the iconic Higgins Boat boat as ‘the boat that won the war.’ With its ability to land in shallow water and with a front exit ramp, it allowed Allied armies to move quickly to shore. More than 20,000 Higgins boats were made in America during World War II.
Presented by the City of Eureka, Visit Eureka, The Eureka Theater, Eddy Alexander and the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission.