The American Foreign Legion?
From President Bush's speech tonight:
On a visit to Bethesda Naval Hospital, Laura and I met a wounded Marine named Guadalupe Denogean. Master Gunnery Sergeant Denogean came to the United States from Mexico when he was a boy. He spent his summers picking crops with his family, and then he volunteered for the United States Marine Corps as soon as he was able. During the liberation of Iraq, Master Gunnery Sergeant Denogean was seriously injured. And when asked if he had any requests, he made two: a promotion for the corporal who helped rescue him, and the chance to become an American citizen. And when this brave Marine raised his right hand, and swore an oath to become a citizen of the country he had defended for more than 26 years, I was honored to stand at his side.This has probably been discussed at great length elsewhere, and undoubtedly will strike some as a dumb question. But before tonight was anyone besides me unaware that U.S. citizenship is not a requirement for military service?
posted by The Cunning Realist at Monday, May 15, 2006
19 Comments:
Perhaps the first combat casualty of the war was L. Cpl. Jose Antonio Gutierrez, an illegal immigrant
From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/heroes/jose.gutierrez.html
"Lance Cpl. Jose Antonio Gutierrez, 22, an orphan who grew up on the streets of Guatemala City, made the perilous border crossing through Mexico and entered the U.S. illegally when he was 14, his family said."
Seems both he and Laura are on a "citizenship" kick lately, exhorting eberyone to give, give give.
http://mikesneighborhood.blogspot.com/2006/05/first-lady-isnt-mentioned-in.html
I knew it wasn't for WW2. I know a gentleman who is German and whose family had fled before the rise of Hitler. He served in the Pacific theater and when wounded and in hospital was approached to become a U.S. citizen and took them up on it.
That story always blew me away. I guess not much has changed.
I don't know what the law says in this regard, but I can tell you it has often been the reverse -- military service has been a requirement for citizenship. A college professor of mine in the 1970s was drafted into the Wehrmacht at age 14 at the end of WWII, was orphaned by the war, became a displaced person in Europe and eventually made it to America as a young man. Because he had served in the German army, his only route to citzenship was to first serve in the U.S. Army in Korea. Those who risk their lives, whether in military service or in trying to walk across the AZ desert, to get to America should tell us something about what America really means, and which we have forgotten.
Here's a link to a PBS Newshour clip from April of 2003.
JEFFREY KAYE: Rincon was a citizen of Colombia, one of 37,000 noncitizens serving in the active duty U.S. armed forces. The military requires only that immigrants be permanent residents, not necessarily citizens in order to serve. Nearly 13,000 reservists are also noncitizens. Rincon was one of at least seven noncitizens among the 128 U.S. Military personnel killed so far in the war in Iraq. All have been awarded posthumous citizenships. In 1989, when Diego was five years old, the Rincon family moved to the U.S. to escape violence...
___________________
I'm surprised to hear you haven't seen some of the coverage of this story. Back when our country was a little more enthusiastic about expanding the Iraq war to evil doers elsewhere there was some right wing talk about filling out the ranks with recruitment aboard, not just non-citizens but non-residents whose signing bonus would be the promise of US citizenship - a win-win for neo-cons and starving third worlders.
Not only can illegal immigrants serve, they are explicitly required to register with Selective Service (if they're male and 18). Resident aliens are also required to register.
CR: You're not the only person who doesn't know. You'd be surprised how often you hear of exploding heads.... that's when anti-immigrant pro-military pseudo-fascists realize that one of the "jobs native-born Americans won't do" is risk life and limb in the service of political hacks for near-minimum wage....
I work with a guy from Trinidad who was in the U.S. Air Force. He's lived in the states for about 30 years and sees no reason to become a citizen.
A large amount of Filipino's serve in the US Navy and are not citizens.
Not only can non-citizens serve, but during the 50s and 60s they were subject to the draft. I know a guy from Guatemala who came here as an exchange student and ended up in combat in Vietnam.
I believe that the Democratic/liberal blogger Kos became a citizen through service in the armed forces.
Rick Bowes
Not sure about Kos, but I remember more than one story in the past couple years about people who died in Iraq and were awarded citizenship posthumously.
Not sure if that's a recent thing, or if it's been true for some time, and it's just more common now, or what.
During the summer of 2002 I was reading a number of news articles online about the coming war. I periodically came across articles, mostly in local papers from the border states, claiming that in the jails as they were being held for deportation undocumented immigrants were being told (by police or guards was unclear) that enlistment in the military was the pathway to staying in the country legally.
I believe that military service has always been open for non-citizens. When the draft was in effect resident aliens were subject to military service. This, as far as I know, was true during each of the three periods (Civil War, WW1 and the period from 1940 to the early '70's) when the draft was in effect.
Rick Bowes
Rick
Doing the jobs Americans don't want to do...
Who knows who the contractors and private military are hiring...
I didn't know either before I started working at a military base 5 years ago. I suspect most Americans are unaware.
Rick,
Kos was born in the U.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markos_Moulitsas_Z%C3%BAniga
positive thinking If You want to see something great about positive thinking then you have got to visit http://lifegoalsetting.com/1/index.html but if you want to see something different
Found this support site and song on the web to support our troops over seas.
I liked it and thought it was a good song. Our troops need to know we stand by them no matter what.
Check it out if you want.
http://www.westandbyyou.net
Later
Dave
Post a Comment
<< Home