Kennedy extols patritotism of service members who became citizens

[Judi Lynn]

Kennedy extols patritotism of service members who became citizens
By Associated Press
Friday, June 4, 2004

MAYPORT, Fla. - On the aircraft carrier bearing the name of his assassinated brother, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy told 120 service members who became citizens Friday that their work was ``the ultimate gesture of patriotism.''

The ceremony in the hangar bay of the USS. John F. Kennedy came just three days before the carrier's next deployment and 20 Kennedy sailors were among the new citizens taking their oath of allegiance.

``You are here because you made the ultimate gesture of patriotism by volunteering to serve in the military to protect your adopted homeland,'' Kennedy said.

One of the sailors, 20-year-old Hector Pichardo, of the Dominican Republic, was mentioned by the Massachusetts Democrat in his speech.
(snip/...)

http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=30639

[lebkuchen]

1. The US military has had quite an influx of foreign nationals

Citizens from the Philippines and Puerto Rico have typically been heavily represented, but citizens from African countries, such as Ghana, the Eastern Bloc countries, and poor Asian countries like Bangladesh are becoming more prevalent.

[Paschall]

3. Hi, Lebkuchen. Point of information...

...Citizens of Puerto Rico are not foreign nationals. Puerto Rico is an American commonwealth and people born there are American citizens (and have been since 1917).

Puerto Rico has no US senator, and Puerto Ricans do not participate directly in the election of the president/vice president, but they do elect a "Resident Commissioner" to the US House of Representatives. And I assume that when a Puerto Rican moves to New York, say, he or she votes like a New Yorker.

US citizens of the other US territories, Guam and American Samoa, are in a similar situation.

[2Design]

2. another recruiting device.....citizenship traded for time in military

We have a lot of mercenaries in this war....we offer citizenship for military time.....we pay ex military......we recruit from Africa and South America....

[saigon68]

4. They Will Kill On Order

Without Remorse

For Halliburton's Oily War