Courtesy Photo | Romar Manlangit Banzon, (left) along with other attendees, recites the oath of...... read more read more
CAMP HENRY, South Korea — It has been 29 years since Lt. Col. Roy D. Banzon, a former Philippines citizen, took his oath to become a U.S. citizen.
On April 6, 2012, almost three decades later, a Banzon recited the oath, but this time it was his son, Romar Manlangit Banzon.
Romar Banzon, 17, adopted from the Philippines in August 2006, recited the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and the oath of citizenship at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
Becoming a U.S. citizen opened many possibilities for the Banzon family.
“Being a U.S. citizen provides me with better opportunities like going to college in the United States,” Romar Banzon said. “As for my family, it allows me to travel with them especially when they go back to the U.S.”
The values and virtues of being an American citizen were the key motivating factors for the Banzon parents to have their son obtain his U.S. citizenship.
“I want him to experience the liberties and rights we have as American citizens. I feel happy and proud,” said Marlyn Banzon, Romar’s mother.
Roy Banzon looks at the day his son received his U.S. citizenship as a way to be an international symbol of what it means to be an American.
“That day, I realized how important it was to remind all those who are American citizens that our freedoms and liberties should not be taken for granted, that there are a multitude of people in the world who hunger for the liberties and freedoms we have today,” Roy Banzon said, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, deputy G3.
The Banzon parents chose to have their son obtain his U.S. citizenship while stationed in South Korea because of the expedited process overseas.
“My wife’s citizenship was processed in the U.S. and it took close to seven years due to the large quantity of applicants in the states,” Roy Banzon said. “The process only took us two years for my son since one of the criteria was to have our adopted son with us physically for two years before he could become an American citizen.”
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 amended Section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, to allow certain eligible children of service members to become naturalized U.S. citizens without having to travel to the United States.
“I highly recommend you visit Army community service, U.S. Embassy and the U.S. immigration website for more information,” Marlyn Banzon said. “In all, I truly recommend processing citizenship paperwork overseas.”
The end of the long process to have the last member of the Banzon family to become united as U.S. citizens ended with the process completing for one and coming full circle for another.
“The most enjoyable part of the process was when I was appointed to lead the other candidates for citizenship reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and receiving the U.S. naturalization certificate with my dad,” Romar Banzon said.
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2012 00:45 |
| Story ID: | 87703 |
| Location: | CAMP HENRY, DAEGU GWANG'YEOGSI [TAEGU-KWANGYOKSHI], KR |
| Web Views: | 195 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, The Banzons’ citizenship: mission complete, by PFC Sung Eun Kim, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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