Everyday there are men and women who are not yet American citizens fighting on the battle fields in Iraq and Afghanistan. Words alone are not enough to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to American and soontobe American soldiers. who made the ultimate sacrifice by putting their lives on the line everyday. Volunteering to serve in the armed forces is a brave and noble act and there are so many soldiers who do so in part due to the opportunity presented by the accelerated naturalization process available to those who enter military service. To date. there have been 103 posthumous grants of American citizenship to noncitizen war soldiers. The sacrifice made by noncitizens who have and are currently enlisting in the armed services demonstrates the value of American citizenship. Their sacrifice and commitment is honorable and should never be forgotten. Our great country. despite some of the challenges we face. continues to be the place in the entire world where people from all over the world are inspired by democracy. justice. freedom of religion. peace. and an opportunity to pursue happiness. This explains the motivation for noncitizens to enlist in the military and put their lives on the line in hopes of achieving their American dream. Im grateful that I had an opportunity to assist with the granting of American citizenship to Corporal Alcintara of the United States Army. one of my constituents. who lost his life in Iraq. I grieve at the loss of the life of a young man with such a great promise and I again extend my heartfelt sympathy to his family and many friends in our community. [From the New York Times.
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