They put their lives on the line for their country, and yesterday, on the eve of Veterans Day, their country rewarded them – by declaring them citizens.
Eighteen veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were among 127 New Yorkers from 42 nations to become US citizens in ceremonies held for the first time at West Point.
Sen. Charles Schumer paid tribute to those who “love their country so much that they were willing to join the armed forces” before gaining citizenship – an act, he said, that “takes particular dedication.”
Dean Joseph, 33, of Mount Vernon in Westchester County, emigrated from Britain in 1984, was in the Army from 1999 to 2006, and served two tours in Iraq.
“My family says I’m Americanized, but in my teens, I wasn’t interested in being a US citizen,” admitted Joseph, who fixes city buses. “After I joined the military, I took it more to heart.”