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WWII vet beats obstacles to visit France for D-Day

By WTOP Staff

KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A 94-year-old man who fought for the U.S. in World War II is heading to France for D-Day ceremonies, a journey he nearly wasn’t able to make because he didn’t have the proof of his citizenship needed to get a passport.

But after getting some help from social media and his local congressman to overcome his financial and passport issues, Sherwin Callander, of Alabama, was set to board a plane Monday night for Paris.

Callander heard last month about ceremonies for the 70th anniversary of D-Day and said he thought it would be meaningful to attend. He hadn’t been back to France since landing on Utah Beach during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 and had cherished memories of buddies lost that day.

But Callander hit a snag when he went to get a passport. Born in Canada in 1920 to an American mother and having lived in the United States since the age of 3, Callander didn’t have any documentation that proved his U.S. citizenship.

He also didn’t have enough money to pay for the trip.

His granddaughter, Elaine Oakes, who will accompany him to France, set up an account two weeks ago on an online fundraising website to tell the story of the man she calls “Papa” and his wish to go to Normandy. She set a goal of $5,000. By Monday, donations from 249 people totaled just over $10,000.

Oakes also helped her grandfather work through a bureaucratic maze to get the necessary papers for his passport, and she credits the office of their congressman, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, with speeding things along. On Friday, Callander learned he had an appointment with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Atlanta to get a certificate of citizenship. That would be followed by an appointment at the passport office to get a specially expedited passport.

After getting the citizenship certificate Monday morning, Callander recited the Oath of Allegiance to the United States flanked by two active U.S. Army members who happened to receive U.S. citizenship that day.

Specialist Iddrisu Ibrahim, 28, who was born in Ghana, and Specialist Gulam Ali, 25, who was born in India, beamed alongside Callander, repeatedly telling him how honored they were to meet him.

Callander enlisted in the Navy as a young man after hearing from recruiters from different branches of the military.

“When they said, ‘You’ll have a girl in every port,’ I said that’s the branch I want,” he said with a chuckle.

He saw action on many fronts during World War II but made it through “without a scratch,” he said.

He was stationed at Pearl Harbor in December 1941 but was out at sea on the day the Japanese attacked. He recalled returning the next day to see the devastation and helping to pull bodies of dead servicemen from the water. He also served in Italy and north Africa. And then there was France, where he recalls being “scared to death” during the D-Day invasion as friends died beside him.

“I had tears in my eyes and I had prayers in my heart, and I just prayed I would come through,” he said.

He plans to visit the graves of his fallen comrades while in Normandy.

After the war, Callander used the GI Bill to become trained as a plumber, a trade he worked in for decades. He married twice and had several children and many grandchildren.

After leaving the citizenship office, Callander was escorted to the passport office across town, where he got his brand new passport with hours to spare before he and Oakes were scheduled to board a plane for Paris Monday night.

“I’m just going to try to enjoy everything, hug every girl I can see and go back on the beach and reminisce a little bit,” he said.

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
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