He was an American hero. Now he's an American.

OpinionJournal ^ | Friday, April 4, 2003 12:01 a.m. EST | BY BRENDAN MINITER

[Smartaleck]

One of the first U.S. soldiers to die in Iraq was not an American citizen. He'd come here illegally as a teenager. His name was José Antonio Gutierrez. He was killed on March 21 by enemy fire while trying to secure Umm Qasr, a port vital for humanitarian aid. He was a 22-year-old lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps.

It's easy to discount talk of the American dream as hyperbole, a cliché carelessly tossed about. But then there are people like Gutierrez, whose whole life proved that the naysayers were wrong. It is possible to escape the oppression of your circumstances. It's no coincidence that he joined the Marines, whose motto is "semper fidelis." Gutierrez remained always faithful to the dream that inspires the best within us. And for this he is an American hero......

[Smartaleck]

he was "an illegal" some would lament.........harumph

[spookycc]

What a great story...

[What Is Ain't]

Heartwarming story. He's a citizen in my book.

[Alberta's Child]

A 14 year-old orphan who stows away on freight trains to get to the United States is hardly an "illegal alien" in my book -- he's a kid desperately chasing down a dream.

And he had a stronger commitment to this nation than most people I know. Hell -- if he hadn't been awarded his citizenship posthumously, I would have offered him mine.

[Darksheare]

We actually need more people like him, willing to fight for what this country stands for, rather than the 'Aztalan' idiots.

[Classicaliberalconservative]

Story bought tears to my eyes. My prayers are with his family.

[livius]

I read this article this morning, but there was an earlier thread on this on FR.

I was so disgusted by the anti-immigrant folks that I almost gave up, until I remembered that they are NOT representative of all Freepers - that is, those of us who realize that everybody in this country is from an "immigrant" family.

As for legal and illegal, it was much easier to be legal in the 19th and early 20th century, and even easier to be legal before then, when land was being given away free to lure settlers to this country.

I'm very glad this man was granted citizenship, even posthumously. Citizenship was also given to another Latin American immigrant who died for our country at the beginning of this war.

[Smartaleck]

Check it amigo

[Joe Boucher]

Noooo you take away an ass like ted kennedys citizenship and award it to these guys.

[RadojeS]

Sadly, modern day no-nothingism is alive and well. While I certainly don't condone illegal immigration, I have nothing but respect for those who come to this country, regardless of how they get here, who want ot become Americans in the truest sense of the word. It is funny some of the same immigrant groups that the anti-immigration people are so worried about are the same ones who have been vocal supporters of our war against terror. My father did 12 months of hard labor in prison and 2 years in a regugee camp trying to get to this country, so this hits very close to home for me.

[Smartaleck]

.......and he died that others might protest.

[honeygrl]

"Hell -- if he hadn't been awarded his citizenship posthumously, I would have offered him mine. "

We should've offered him Peter Arnett's or Natalie Maines.. they don't want theirs anymore obviously.

[jwalsh07]

El dios bendice a este infante de marina Americano joven.

[Smartaleck]

Amen

[Alberta's Child]

Bump.

[Victoria Delsoul]

And he had a stronger commitment to this nation than most people I know. Hell -- if he hadn't been awarded his citizenship posthumously, I would have offered him mine.

Well said.

[maro]

(1) The Romans used to offer citizenship as the reward for honorable military service.

(2) When the Japanese were interned in WWII, the second generation Japanese Americans were eager to prove their loyalty (and thus re-win their citizenship) by fighting in an all-nisei division in the European theater. It worked. After the war, there was not as much anti-Japanese feeling.

(3) I remember reading a science fiction writer depicting a society in which ONLY soldiers and ex-soldiers had full citizenship. Imagine what kind of Congress we would have.

[cyborg]

I find that a few FReepers have knee jerk responses to 'controversial' issues or 'third rail' issues. For that crowd, it won't matter what he did. I think that sometimes people also get wrapped in one issues or another so much that they lose sight of a person's humanity. Case in point.. the little girl that got the wrong organ?
But I like FR anyway. It's the best forum around right now.

[Riya]

(3) I remember reading a science fiction writer depicting a society in which ONLY soldiers and ex-soldiers had full citizenship. Imagine what kind of Congress we would have.


That was Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Service guarantees citizenship. The belief that unless you were willing to put your life on the line, you didn't deserve all the perks, like voting. A very interesting take, and one that might not be a bad idea. Kind of like the thought of only property owners voting, at the time, they were the ones paying all the taxes. Makes sense. Keeps those with their hands out from voting themselves a check.