October 18, 2004

Twenty-three active-duty service members took the Oath of Allegiance and became U.S. citizens today during a special overseas military naturalization ceremony at the Embassy in Tokyo. Ambassador Howard H. Baker, Jr. took part in the ceremony, along with USCIS Deputy Director Michael Petrucelli.

Since Oct. 1 this year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) has started holding naturalization ceremonies overseas, for armed forces personnel serving outside of the United States.

See USCIS press release.
Read Deputy Director Petrucelli's speech and the text of the Oath of Allegiance.

Ambassador Howard H. Baker, Jr. addresses the service members at his residence in Tokyo Oct. 18 before the Oath of Allegiance.		A total of 23 service members take the Oath of Allegiance to become U.S. citizens.
A group photo afterwards shows all the new citizens with Ambassador Baker and his wife in the center, along with USCIS Deputy Director Michael Petrucelli at Ambassador Baker's left.