It’s not only the French who has the Foreign Legion. The US military has a significant number of foreign mercenaries in its ranks. Most joined to obtain US citizenship.
One Indian, 21-year old Uday Singh from Chandigarh, who joined the US Army as a private, became the American citizen he dreamed of becoming, posthumously. He was killed in Iraq in late last year. He was cremated in Chandigarh but laid to rest in his new country at the US military cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Poor Singh, who was truly keen to become a US citizen, wrote to his relative from Iraq just one month before he perished. He penned, "I got some more good news. My citizenship process has finally gone through."
Previously it was quite difficult to become a citizen even after serving in the US military, but President Bush made it easier for such foreign-born residents who joined the military for US citizenship.
Of the 15,000 new US citizens naturalized in July, hundreds were from the military. The US military has some 2% to 3% foreign residents, with the largest number from the Philippines. In 2004, there were 410 Indians actively serving the US military.
The Last Post was blown for Uday Singh. His Indian Parents received the Stars & Stripes as a memento of their son's sacrifice for his new country.
Requiescat in pace, Uday Singh.
Previously it was quite difficult to become a citizen even after serving in the US military, but President Bush made it easier for such foreign-born residents who joined the military for US citizenship.
ReplyDeleteSounds similar to what happened in the US Civil War. Foreigners were made to join the military in order to be 'welcomed'.
MOD's Territorial Army is recruiting. And I qualify.
Jolly good chap, Jon - Afghanistan, Iraq or the London Tube, your choice?
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