[Magdalen] Naturalization Ceremony

[Allan Carr]

I showed up in uniform, naturally, and shipped out for less than ten months
(nine months was the minimum) to Europe. I don't rembrr any flags (but
don't doubt we got them)

On Tuesday, June 9, 2015, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:

> Oh yeah, I forgot about the little American flags the new citizens got.
>
> I read somewhere that judges can get downright violent in arguments about
> who gets to do the ceremony, since this, like a marriage, one of the few
> times a judge gets to preside over a happy event.
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
>
> On Tue, Jun 9, 2015 at 3:08 PM, Raewynne Whiteley <raewynne1 at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
>
> > I'm feeling deprived...we didn't have a map or stick pins or cookies
> when I
> > was naturalized.  Nor did we get little American flags, which they always
> > get when news channels report on the ceremonies. (g)
> >
> > Raewynne
> >
> > On Sat, Jun 6, 2015 at 3:42 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> > oppenheimerjw at gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > Had an interesting afternoon yesterday.
> > >
> > > Went to the Wallace center, a part of the FDR Library and Home in Hyde
> > Park
> > > as a driver.  They were having a naturalization ceremony, and the DAR
> was
> > > supplying refreshments.
> > > I've never seen this before, and I wanted to see it.  It turns out it's
> > > like so many other things.  Hurry up and wait.
> > > Homeland Security now must speak individually with each candidate.
> Among
> > > other things, they ask them if they have changed their mind since
> > applying
> > > for citizenship.
> > > H S had a group in the morning in Rockland County, and were apparently
> > > delayed for two hours, so everybody had to wait for them.
> > > This gave our county executive, Marcus Molinaro, a chance to practice
> his
> > > stand-up routine "I have a lot of jokes <pause> some of them are
> funny."
> > > After a particularly lame joke, he pointed to one lady, "Excuse me
> > ma'am. I
> > > see you are laughing.  Did you REALLY think that was funny? Yes? And
> > where
> > > are you from, ma'am?  Jamaica? Oh I have to get down there to talk."
> > > He gamely went on poking fun at himself for about fifteen minutes ("If
> > > someone somewhere is opening an envelope, I will be there!")
> > > He was always interested in politics as a young man, and he got tired
> of
> > > hearing the trustees in his village saying, no matter what the subject,
> > > "Oh, we can't do that." He learned a bit about representative gummint,
> > and
> > > he suddenly realized that if he wanted change, he might be the one to
> > start
> > > it.
> > > He ran for village trustee at eighteen years old -- and won.
> > > A year later, he found out the mayor was retiring, and he was starting
> to
> > > enjoy politics. "So I ran home as fast as I could and asked my mother
> if
> > I
> > > was permitted to run for mayor. She said yes, so I did, and I won. I
> was
> > > mayor for twelve years."
> > > Marc is now in his forties (I believe). You may hear more of this man
> in
> > > the coming years, he's that good.
> > >
> > > Eventually we worked around to the ceremony.  Looking out the window at
> > the
> > > statue of Eleanor and Franklin sitting on a bench just like plain
> folks,
> > I
> > > looked around at these people (73 individuals were naturalized that
> day)
> > I
> > > felt we obviously have something going on here if these folks are
> coming
> > > here from different lands (There was a map in the room with a stick pin
> > for
> > > every country: Canada, S. America, Vietnam, Russia, Africa, the usual
> > > European suspects)
> > >
> > > We started out by singing the national anthem in a sort of organum.
> > >
> > > And then the oath itself, including the same words I swore as a
> non-com,
> > > but with a marvelous twist:
> > > The administrator went "Repeat after me.
> > > I -- state your name --"
> > > And they then went around the room. Each of the seventy-three people,
> one
> > > by one, stated their name.  This part touched me so very deeply, but I
> > was
> > > totally unprepared for the little incident that happened next.
> > > In the midst of this, each person is reciting his name, going around
> the
> > > room in a prearranged order, and then I heard, but it did not fully
> > > register until a moment later (Huh? Did that really happen?), one
> person
> > > stated his name:
> > >
> > > "Ronald Reagan <surname>"
> > >
> > > Some one person spontaneously clapped. I am glad they did because I
> would
> > > have convinced myself I imagined it. But it was over, and the ceremony
> > just
> > > carried on.
> > >
> > > Two people in front of me were obviously new citizens, and I got the
> > > privilege of being the very first person to congratulate them on their
> > > citizenship.
> > >
> > > And then, all in the room now being citizens, we pledged allegiance to
> > the
> > > flag<snif>.
> > >
> > > Then we sang America the Beautiful in sort of parallel thirds.  Sweet.
> > >
> > > Everybody got their picture taken by friends, standing next to the flag
> > > pointing to THEIR stick-pin.  Goodness.  From all over the world....
> > >
> > > We had a huge pile of cookies and drinks and they were all gone. Yay.
> > >
> > > I always enjoy visiting the center.  I never knew FDR. He died before I
> > was
> > > born. But I've always felt a connection.  We talked about Mrs.
> Roosevelt
> > in
> > > school all the time when I was a kid.
> > >
> > > When I was an undergrad at Pitt, I had some business in the Cathedral
> of
> > > Learning, and was getting into an elevator. I was chatting with the
> > > elevator operator, who was an African-American gentleman. For some
> > reason,
> > > the name of Franklin Roosevelt came up, and at that moment, the man
> took
> > > off his hat.
> > >
> > > He looked me, looked at his hat, looked at me.
> > >
> > > And then, he said, "He made us feel like he cared about us." I cannot
> > > imagine a more noble monument than that doffed cap.
> > >
> > > Our President could not stand, yet he helped America get back on its
> > feet.
> > >
> > > And every time I visit, I think of all that....
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> > > *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not
> preserved,
> > > except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> > >
> >
>


-- 
Allan Carr