The serviceman now serving in Europe for example. serves under essentially peacetime conditions. These conditions have been relatively unaffected by the Vietnam hostilities. Unless the serviceman so serving is actually called upon to face combat. such as in Vietnam. there appears less justification to afford him the greater naturalization benefits of section 329. He is. of course. eligible for the benefits of section 328 relating to peacetime service after 3 years of honorable service. In recognition of the continual possibility of changes in our countrys commitments to the defense of freedom on the battlefield. the flexibility for the definition of combatant service by Presidential Executive order is most desirable. In this context. should the hostilities in Vietnam cease. the wartime naturalization benefits would no longer be justified and would accordingly be terminated. If. on the other hand. unfortunate as It is to contemplate. the area of the Vietnam hostilities increase. or similar commitments are required elsewhere in the future. such service can be immediately recognized through appropriate Executive order. H.R. 15147 therefore permits expeditious naturalization based on honorable service under wartime conditions whenever proclaimed by the President. The benefits accrue to the alien serviceman actually serving in a combat area. They can be extended to the alien even during the period of hostilities. without the delay which would be incurred if special legislation had to be passed each time.
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naturalization