The LT-5 Major Elisha K. Henson was a large steel-hulled harbor tugboat built for the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in 1943. Measuring 114 feet in length, the vessel played a vital logistical role during World War II, most notably participating in the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. As part of Operation Mulberry, LT-5 braved heavy German artillery, Luftwaffe air raids, and rough seas to help construct the artificial "Mulberry harbors" off the coast of France. These makeshift ports were critical for offloading the massive amounts of troops, vehicles, and supplies needed to support the push into Europe. During the intense campaign, the tug's crew also proved their combat mettle by using their onboard anti-aircraft guns to shoot down a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter plane.
After the war, the veteran tugboat returned to the United States and was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where she spent decades working on construction and maintenance projects across the Great Lakes. During this period, she was renamed the John F. Nash in honor of a prominent engineer, which often leads to her being referred to simply as the Nash. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992, the vessel is celebrated as one of the last surviving U.S. Army tugs from the D-Day landings. Today, restored to her original wartime identity, LT-5 is permanently docked as a floating museum at the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, New York, offering visitors a firsthand look at a rare piece of World War II naval history.