Skip to main content

Flag from Battleship Texas flies again for D-Day

By WTOP Staff

RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — The clouds were low. The sea was rough. A cacophony of shouting men and the constant boom of exploding shells filled the air. Waves of American, British and Canadian soldiers landed on Normandy’s beaches. The hospital ship filled rapidly with the injured, and the USS Texas began taking on casualties.

Through the battle smoke, they gazed from the landing craft and saw security: an enormous red, white and blue flag.

In honor of the 70th anniversary of the June 6, 1944, invasion, the flag that was aloft will go on public display Friday for the first time since World War II in an exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science thanks to a crewman who gifted the flag.

“It was a firsthand witness to one of the most epic battles in history,” said Andy Smith, manager of the vessel that is now a memorial in the Port of Houston called the Battleship Texas. The USS Texas also was present when the American flag was raised at Iwo Jima in 1945.

The USS Texas’ 17-by-9 foot battle flag was raised on its mast June 5, as 156,000 Allied soldiers prepared to cross the English Channel and face the Germans. The USS Texas, which already had fought in World War I, was tasked with drawing enemy fire so the troops could land, Smith said.

The flag told the other Allied powers this ship was a friend. Working in unison, the crew fired more than 255 rounds of 14-inch shells in just 34 minutes. The rounds came so fast and so furiously, the troops on the beach were relieved when they saw the USS Texas and its constant barrage, Ernest Hemingway described as a correspondent for Colliers magazine.

“She’s firing, and she’s moving, and she gets as close to the shore as she can,” Smith said. “Part of her mission is to be a target.”

The days pass in a blur of fighting. By June 25th the USS Texas, flag unfurled, is at Cherbourg, battling to capture the port city. On the bridge is navigator Emil Saul, helmsman Chris Christiansen and dozens of crewmen. Suddenly, there was an explosion.

“We got struck there. Wiped out completely,” said Saul, remembering the moment when the German shell destroyed the bridge.

Christiansen was killed, and 11 were wounded, including Saul, who spent nearly three years in the hospital recovering.

The crew, though, didn’t forget. They awarded Saul the massive battle flag, a token for his sacrifice.

For years, as Saul finished school, got married, raised two daughters and enjoyed a long career with the Coast Guard, the massive wool and linen flag with just 48 stars remained carefully folded in storage.

“I loved it and was so proud of it and it was so beautiful,” Saul, now 89 and living in Charlotte, North Carolina, said. “I really thought about how it’s going to last … or it’s going to be destroyed.”

So, in 1992 he donated the flag to the Battleship Texas.

But Smith worried that Houston’s heat, humidity and sunlight could damage the artifact.

“You think of the flag that flew at Fort McHenry, the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that was raised at Iwo Jima — it’s at that level of significance,” Smith said.

The years passed, and the flag remained hidden.

Now, due to a collaboration between Smith and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which has the space and conditions to display the flag, it will be the centerpiece of a D-Day anniversary exhibit.

“We are losing these crew members at an alarming rate … the veterans of World War II are dying off regularly,” Smith added. “We just don’t know how much longer we have and we really wanted to get this flag viewable to those guys.”

___

Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote