the only picture I could find.
Posted on 05/26/2006 8:00:06 PM PDT by SandRat
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (May 26, 2006) -- Mexican newspapers inadvertently planted a seed in a small boy, born in 1960 in the town of Cananea, Mexico, not far from the Arizona border.
“In the newspapers in Mexico, they are more graphic than they are here,” said Guadalupe Denogean, a retired master gunnery sergeant. “I couldn’t read, but I could see the pictures.”
So he would ask his brother to read the stories to him, and they were always about the Marines, he said.
As that seed sprouted, Denogean, who moved to the U.S. but was not a legal citizen, chose to join the Marine Corps, fight for and defend the freedom of the United States.
“It was something that was planted way back, and as soon as I turned 17, I signed up,” he said.
During his time as a Marine, he also planted a seed for a simpler immigration process to be used in the military.
As Denogean lay in the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., in 2003 from injuries suffered in Iraq, President George Bush, along with several high-ranking officers in the military, came to meet injured service members. The president asked each of them what they would like to see done in the military, said Denogean.
When it was Denogean’s turn, he said he wanted one of his Marines meritoriously promoted for pulling him out of a burning vehicle in Iraq, and he also asked to become a citizen.
The next day, his Marine received a promotion, and three days later, with 25 years of military service, Denogean became a U.S. citizen.
“It used to take two to three years to become a citizen,” he said. “The problem was every time you went to a new station, you submit an application, and you also had to pay the fees. If they called you up and you moved, you lost your money.”
He brought the military’s attention to the current immigration process, and shortly after they began working on ways to improve it.
“I don’t want to say I was the reason, but they didn’t realize what we were going through and why we were not citizens,” he explained. “I was in Desert Storm and I was in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I guess he [Bush] was impressed. We were in two wars, and we were not citizens. Why are we doing it? For the love of freedom.”
Thanks to the effort of Denogean and service members like him, today, it only takes a service member four to six months to complete their request for U.S. citizenship.
Denogean and his family immigrated to the United States in 1966. Growing up in Nogales, Ariz., he learned English through school but was unable to speak fluently before enlisting in the Marines when he turned 17. Without a full grasp of the English language, he faced many difficulties communicating in Boot Camp.
Even the most basic neccessities were hard to accomplish because of the language barrier, he said.
Regardless of not being a U.S. citizen, Denogean fought for Americans and their ideals — he knew someone had to pay the price for freedom.
“I enjoyed the freedoms that were offered to me and my family,” said Denogean. “For everything you do, there has to be a sacrifice. You have to pay the dues — somebody does.”
He also has a sister, Yolanda Colter, who’s been in the Air Force for more than 28 years. “Between the two of us, we have paid the dues for our family,” he said.
“Freedom is not free,” is a phrase heard often on radio and television and written across car bumper stickers, but this phrase means more to those who weren’t handed freedom, but had to earn it.
“If I give you a car, you’re going to drive it and trash it. If you buy the car and you pay for it, you’ll take care of it. It’s no different with the United States. If it’s just given to you, you’ll take it for granted, but if you pay for it, you’ll understand what it’s all about and you’ll cherish the freedoms that we have,” he said.
While Denogean may not have directly influenced the creation of the easier immigration process the military uses today, his request to President Bush for citizenship certainly sparked an interest in improving it.
But he is without honor for serving for twenty five years without becoming a citizen???
I just stopped into this thread to see if anyone had posted pictures of him yet, and I found you arguing with any one that came along, so I can to his defence.
lol... your noble "defence" has been duly noted. Keep up the good work.
Thanks. Along with the bad reports about illegal aliens, it is important to recognize contributions like this.
I support him being given citizenship. His words reveal very clearly why.
the only picture I could find.
What are you BiPolar?
I served in the Marines for eleven years.
Just because I didn't make a remark about you sayin you were a DD2765 "DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE/UNIFORMED SERVICES IDENTIFICATION AND PRIVILEGE CARD" that means I don't know anything about being in the Military.
I figured I give you a break since you were backing off and ignored it.
Okey Dokey!
Dishonor/ Disgrace....one and the same, try looking it up.
You have no idea of how US citizenship/naturalization works in regards to foreign born US Military personnel, much less the point I have expoused. This article is a political fluff job. Thank you for the insults, and may you have many happy returns.
The point you have "expoused" has been vague in the extreme. I don't blame others for questioning your "point"
Perhaps if you tried to educate others with your knowledge of how US citizenship/naturalization works in regards to foreign born US Military personnel, you would be better understood.
Your shared angst is of no concern to anyone useful. Thanks!
It is obvious you seek to contrive unfounded arguments,
The article states the Marine had previously sought citizenship, but each and every time he submitted the paperwork, the process was interrupted, not by the Marine, but by the Marine's obedience to orders when he was transferred to another duty station in 3 year increments. In some cases, the three year cycle was further interrupted by his obedience to deploy to war, and in this case a resultant injury placing him in a major hospital facility.
After 25 years of service and being promoted to the highest enlisted rank available to him, it is slander to imply he has anything less than honor in his service, because he asked to become a citizen, once again.
This highlights a difference between him and yourself. He probably will continue to be faithful to his nation, but indubitably you will probably continue to imply this to be suspect and dishonorable.
Yep, this Marine had no available means to Naturalize in 25 yrs., due to active duty constraints. I am truly amazed by the depth of outright stupidity on this thread.
The article didn't imply he had no available means to naturalize in 25 yrs. It did imply his natualization process had been interrupted and restarted repeatedly.
Since you appear to be the only one on the thread with the particular knowledge of the system that proves this implication is false and have a penchant for form numbers, perhaps you could share the explicit details and form numbers used to expedite the process within the the INS and Dept of Justice.
After a number of years of honorable service you should not have to ask, it should be granted
It is obvious you seek to contrive unfounded arguments.
Well said Sir, some people, if they had a brain, it would be lonely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.