November 05, 2008
Iraq: On Election Day Nearly 200 GI's Become U.S. Citizens
Almost 200 U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq celebrated yesterday's elections in a special way and were sworn in as U.S. citizens.Dressed in fatigues and standing under a giant U.S. flag, the troops took their citizenship oath at a ceremony in a domed marble hall at Saddam's old Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory near the Baghdad airport.
"Diverse as your backgrounds may be, you all now have one thing in common: you are all Americans," said Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. "You represent the very best of all that our nation stands for: freedom, opportunity, equality and service."[...]
Spc. Rasha Hennessy, from the 1st Higher Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was born in Baghdad, not far from where she took her oath. "Honestly, I can't even think of how blessed I am to have this privilege," she said. "It's a great thing."
Kewl, congratulations all!
