Family and friends of the people who had been approved for citizenship were invited to witness the occasion. We met at a the Scottish Rite Learning Center of South Texas, a grand building filled with masonic symbols and architecture, created by the San Antonio Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.
There was a patriotic ceremony which involved a judge swearing in a room full of qualified applicants for citizenship. First, a color guard from Randolph Brooks Air Force Base posted the flags at the front of the podium.
When they were finished, a lady stood at the podium and began to sing, "God Bless America."
She sang with power and feeling. People in the audience started singing along very quietly. I must admit that I had a lump in my throat and my heart swelled in pride and love for my country.
Next, the judge was introduced. The applicants listened attentively as she gave instructions for the ceremony that was to begin in just a few moments.
The judge sat down and a gentleman stood up. He read a list of all the countries of origin for the applicants . As their home country was read, they were asked to stand. Fifteen countries were represented. I can't recall them all, but the list started out with Algeria, and included such places as , Iran, Kazakhstan, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Canada, India, and Turkey.
The flags were provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution, a women's service organization that consists of women who are descended from a patriot of the American Revolution.
The judge asked each of the applicants to raise their right hand, and she led them through their oath of allegiance to the United States of America. Here is the official oath:
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
Once again, the singer came up to the microphone. She sang "America the Beautiful," and then the color guard took the flags out of the room and everyone was dismissed.
I am so proud of my daughter-in-law, and so happy for her. I know she has worked hard for several years to become a citizen. Today was a wonderful day for our family.
As I left, I spotted many people leaving the building with their little American flags and their white packet of official documentation of their citizenship. They all looked so happy. Here are three who graciously let a stranger take their photograph just so she could put it in her blog.
from Mexico
from Mexico
from Iran
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