Roll of Honor
Incident
Private George Higgins died after contracting the Spanish Flu while in the performance of his duties.
Due to the devastation of the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918 members of the Pennsylvania State Police had been ordered to perform duties such as, assisting nurses and doctors in taking care of influenza victims, serve as pallbearers of influenza victims, assisting health officers, transporting victims to and from hospitals, and to police the Borough of Exeter after the two members of their police force succumbed to the influenza.
Private George Higgins had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for only three months and was assigned to Troop C, Pottsville, present-day Troop L, Reading.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Private George Edward Higgins died on October 20, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 26.
He is one of 201 officers honored here, and one of 3 at Pennsylvania State Police.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more people worldwide than the war that preceded it. Police officers worked it without vaccines, without antibiotics, and often without masks, enforcing quarantines, transporting the sick, and standing posts in cities where the dead outpaced the undertakers.
They caught it doing the job. There was no treatment to give them.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, parents, brother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-F3307765- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew George. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
No vaccine, no antibiotics, and you stood the post anyway.
Private Higgins served with the Pennsylvania State Police.
Thank you for your service to the people of Pennsylvania. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Private Higgins.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Private George Edward Higgins is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In PA, 121 of 1,261 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.6% of this state's fallen. That is 0.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At Pennsylvania State Police, 10 of 87 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 11.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. George Edward Higgins's cause is highlighted.
How George Edward Higgins Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. George Edward Higgins is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
86 officers from Pennsylvania State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
