S&S - New citizens honored to take oath at White House

Stars and Stripes

New citizens honored to take oath at White House

By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes



Pacific edition, Sunday, May 3, 2009

Robin Hoecker / S&S
Representing all branches of the military, 24 servicemembers from 18 countries take the oath of citizenship during a naturalization ceremony at the White House on Friday.

Robin Hoecker / S&S
President Obama delivers the keynote address.

Robin Hoecker / S&S
"You’ve not merely chosen to live in this country. You’ve chosen to serve this country," he said.

Robin Hoecker / S&S
President Obama congratulates the new citizens after the ceremony.

Robin Hoecker / S&S
President Obama presents Peter Lemon with the Outstanding American by Choice award, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of naturalized U.S. citizens. Lemon, formerly a Canadian citizen, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1971 for his heroic actions in Vietnam.

WASHINGTON — Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeonathan Zapata was excited to finally become an American citizen. But he was even more thrilled when the first person to congratulate him was the commander in chief.

Read the whole article here.