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NEW YORK — A Coast Guardsman from the Philippines took the Oath of Allegiance and became a U.S. Citizen on Friday aboard Coast Guard Cutter Eagle during a naturalization ceremony with 10 other servicemembers.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) New York District Director Phyllis Coven led a special naturalization ceremony aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Eagle, and U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Morkan, Deputy of U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York delivered welcome remarks, five years to the day from the last time a New York naturalization ceremony was held aboard “America’s Tallship.”
The ten citizenship candidates originated from: Belize, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Paraguay, Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
They are all currently serving or retired members of the U.S. military and represent four branches: The U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. They all live in New York or Northern New Jersey.
The Eagle was constructed in 1936 and was acquired from Germany as a war reparation following World War II. It is the only active commissioned sailing vessel in the armed services and is primarily used to train cadets from the Coast Guard Academy.