Mar
7
Three hundred immigrants took the final step to becoming American citizens by taking the oath of citizenship Friday (02MAR07) on the warship John F. Kennedy in Boston, Massachusetts.
Seven of the immigrants were crew members on board the carrier, which is on the second day of a five-day farewell visit to President Kennedy’s home state before going out of service later this month.
Electrician’s Mate Pamela Leach, who comes from Trinidad, says, “This is just a great opportunity we had as the ship was decommissioning. Not everybody gets to do it like this. We feel special to do this on her last journey and to serve as her last crew.”
Elva Chen, a computer programmer from Taiwan says, “This is like the movies when they say to be American, it’s freedom and justice, and I think this is so cool. When I read the allegiance on this ship, I especially think about the part that says to take and bear arms for your country. It’s really special.”