Leadership Journal

Friday, March 6, 2009

Uncommon Valor

Marine Lance Corporal Jose Gasca, his wife Angelina and son.
On Friday, February 27, I had the distinct privilege of participating in a Naturalization Ceremony at the Washington District Office in Fairfax, Va. Among the ceremony's 30 candidates was a young man with an inspiring story that reminds us of the importance of our work at USCIS and the priceless value of the life and liberties we cherish as Americans.

Marine Lance Corporal Jose Gasca, a native of Mexico, served in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines. Lance Corporal Gasca lost both his legs to an improvised explosive device during combat operations last September. He's currently undergoing rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he is learning to walk once again.

When Lance Corporal Gasca, with his wife and young son by his side, raised his right hand to take the Oath of Allegiance, he joined a long line of naturalized American heroes who served and sacrificed on behalf of our nation before becoming American citizens. There are few words I can use to describe the overwhelming sense of appreciation and admiration I have for men and women like Lance Corporal Gasca. As an agency, we best express that gratitude by completing military naturalization cases as quickly as possible.

USCIS employees who work with immigrant service members consider this responsibility both a privilege and an honor. In partnership with the Department of Defense, we do all we can to ensure that as many military applications as possible are processed and completed before these brave men and women are deployed to combat zones overseas.

In total, USCIS naturalized more than one million citizens during fiscal year 2008 and we've naturalized more than 45,000 U.S. service members since September 2001. Each new American has made a personal sacrifice to become part of our American fabric. None, however, have made more striking sacrifices than Jose Gasca and his fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who voluntarily took up arms to defend rights and liberties they had yet to secure for themselves or their families.

Mike Aytes, Acting Deputy Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

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posted by DHS at 3:01 PM

14 Comments:

  • Thanks for publishing this heart-warming story. It's an inspiration to us all and reminds us all how important the work that we do is to all Americans. Hopefully, CIS will be featured on the series Homeland Security USA soon.

    Terry

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 9, 2009 10:44 AM  

  • thank u you jose God bless you and God bless usa

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 9, 2009 3:29 PM  

  • Absolutely a moving story. Thank you and thanks to Lance Corpral Jose Gasca for his service

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 9, 2009 9:45 PM  

  • I am happy that many people that work at the USCIS offices are people with integrity and respect, they respect those whose serve, and honor them with the citizenship of our nation. Everyone who served honorably in the US ARMED FORCES should be granted citizenship regardless of their past. They are serving so we can all have a piece of mind.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 9, 2009 9:51 PM  

  • Is a great value the achievement of the corporal, as well the merit offered by the Department of Defense. Everybody who is fighting for our country should be granted with such a distinction, not even have to wait to comeback injured to get this ceremony, all of us should get immediate naturalization when we sign up to fight for the freedom and the liberty of our country.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 10, 2009 2:53 PM  

  • I LOVE AMERICA AND THATS THE REASON I SIGNED UP WITH THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AND I AGREE WITH THE ABOVE COMMENT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO BE INJURED TO GET SUCH CEREMONIES BECAUSE EVERYONE IN THE MILITARY CONUS OR OCONUS SHOULD BE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP BECAUSE EVERYONE PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN GETTING THE MISSION ACCOMPLISHED; BE IT A SERVICES MEMBER WHO PROVIDES FOOD OR THE PERSONELLIST THAT ACOMPLISHES CASUALTY REPORT OR PROVIDE SERVICE TO MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. FINALLY USCIS IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB AT HELPING MEMBERS GET WHAT THEY DESERVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND BIG HOORAH TO EVERYONE SERVING DURING THIS TIME OF WAR.

    By Anonymous SrA FOLAMI, At March 10, 2009 10:22 PM  

  • I want to congratulate the uscis employees who share the feelings of Mr. Mike Aytes, Acting Deputy Director for doing what they did for Marine Lance Corporal Jose Gasca and specially to Mr. Mike Aytes who shows that with actions and not words is the way to demonstrate the respect, admiration and the help that Corporal Gasca needs in order to have his family with him in order to have a faster recovery. Mr. Gasca deserves the admiration of all the american people for his valor of joining the armed forces. He knew that his life was in the line and that he could loose not only his life, but parts of his body as well, but in order to serve his adopted country and become an american citizen he took the risk. That is valor! People like him is what makes america the the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 12, 2009 1:41 PM  

  • I believe USCIS is doing great job in naturalizing our new Citizens. I wish the same could be done to unite US Citizen Spouses and kids with their loved ones. Something needs to be done with VSC. CSC is processing Jan and Feb applications right now But VSC still processing June and July 2008. It has been long ride for US Citizen who would like to be united with their spouses and kids. The current process (USCIS, NVC and overseas embassy) need to be changed or at least expedited. It will take minimum of 9 to 18 months to bring our loved ones to USA but B-2 holder could bring their loved ones in less than 3 months. Please MR. Director Do something about this issue.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 13, 2009 10:22 AM  

  • I believe Mr. Mike Aytes, Acting Deputy Director of USCIS, is doing a very good job of setting the right example to his fellow employees, in regard to the treatment given to the veterans of the this conflict. But not all the other services follow his example. I am a 68 years of age, Veteran of the Conflict that started on Feb.28 1961 and ended on
    October 15, 1978. I applied for naturalization under 329 of INA and I will have my oath ceremony to receive my naturalization on March 18, 2009 in San Diego CA. My daughter,16 years old had aB-2 Visa but it was taken away by an employee of the American Consulate in Tijuana, Mexico during a renwal of it.
    The officer siad that this way I will be forced to arrenge for her as Legal Resident. My daugfther explain that I was a Veteran, that I was disabled and that I was studing to qualify for the requirements to become a citizen, that I was in and out of the Veterans hospital in San Diego and that it was difficult for me to do all that was needed.
    Neverthaless, that officer was hard to hear to her plea and blind to her tears, (she was 14 years old).
    I feel sad because I dont have my wifer nor my daughter with me to join me at this moment that has taken me so long to achieve. Should the assistance be different to veterans from past conflicts?
    Your help will be greatly,appreciated and once again, you will demonstrate to the Military apparatus and the millions of veterans under 329 of ina with actions and not word your respect and admiration for all the soldiers that have served in past and present conflicts. You could get in touch with Representative Bob Filner Assistant, Vivian in Chula Vista , CA . Thank you

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 16, 2009 6:02 PM  

  • This is a great American story. They made this great nation stronger. I did apply for naturalization to the very first day i was eligible for. I had my interview 3 weeks ago and my file has been recommended for approval. Now i have been waiting for me oath letter from Washington field office.

    Recently, it came to my attention that some people from the same office have given the opportunity for same day oath. That means a number of people have filed after us, but became citizen before us. It is great that their dream came true faster. But what i don't understand the justification for keeping us waiting when we meet all the criteria.

    I hope someone with power from USCIS will create system which we all can believe in and say is fair.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 16, 2009 10:20 PM  

  • I have good news to share with all the readers of the Leadership Journal. Today, I received my Certificate of Naturalization.I am a new Citizen in this wonderful Country! Thanks to the sacrifice of millions of fighting men/women, that forged it with sweat, blood and tears. Sometimes being dismemberd, some times loosing their life, paying the price of freedom. Starting with the revolutionary war, up to the present conflict, all those that served and are serving, were aware of the the possible cost and yet they decided in favor of serving.
    Marine Lance Corporal Jose Gasca is an inspiration to the True Patriots as well as Mr. Aytes, ADD should be to his fellow employees of all the USCIS and State Department, and feel proud that just and expedited work from them, contributes to reach the persuit of happiness as was intended by the founders of this country for all the proud veterans,included me.To accomplish this we need of the assistance of these departments to have our loved ones with us.
    God bless America, grant prompt recovery to Lance Corporal Jose Gasca, and give Mr. Aytes the will to find newer and expeditious way to reunite families. God bless us All.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 18, 2009 6:28 PM  

  • Mr. Director I appreciate all the good work you have been doing. I just received rescheduling/postponed letter (N400 application) one week before my interview date. I have not given any reason or when the new date will be. I received my interview letter 2 months ago, I have been reading and preparing since then. The letter comes from my local office. In my opinion, this is not fare, the interview should go forward. USCIS could approve my civic test and wait for the additional documents that they need and approve my Citizen later on. Please Mr. Director let local offices stop these practices and use commonsense. I have been in this country for over 11 years following the rules and paying all my taxes on time. My wife and kids have been waiting for years and years to be united with me, I though I am almost there but it seems not.

    FYI-I knew may people who applied months after me and they completed their oath already, please revisit the practice as well. It should always be, FIFO if the person does not have any issues with his application.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 19, 2009 3:31 PM  

  • I have just learned that you have stopped work site enforcement. I can not believe you and Obama would do this when we have 7.7 million illegals takeing American jobs. We have over 12,000,000 Americans out of work and you simply don't care. I have a grandson, an Iraq veteran that is unemployed and you want to let these illegals keep the jobs over our own brave veterans. Unbelievable.

    James Helms

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 19, 2009 3:33 PM  

  • I want to express my gratitud to all the USCIS employees at the Lincoln, Nebraska Service Center. But more so to those employees that in certain way participated in the process of my application N-400, N-426 and G-325, which I feel was very efficient and expeditious and that enabled me to become a citizen through the process of naturalization.
    I will be submitting form I-130 to petition my daughter to come to U.S. and form I-485 but the problem that I have now is: the economy, health, age,increased fees for the processing of such forms.I am on fixed income from VA and SSA for service connected disability and the disability payment from SSA, because my age, was converted to retirement benefit. My daughter should have been receiving payment from Social Security since two years ago but she was not incorporated into the system because she has to be 31 days continuoslly in the US territory, in order to qualify. I wonder if INS could set up some system of instalment payments that will allow Veterans to pay on monthly basis, or we could give VA a signed authorization to take certain amount of money from our Disability Compensation Pay every month and pay it directly to INS. That will really give meaning to Mr. Lincoln's
    words of March 4, 1865: ".....to care for him who shall have born the battle, and for his widow and his orphan-to do all wich may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace, among our selves, and with all nations. Very Profound Statement!
    President Calvin Coolidge stated in 1924: American
    Citizenship has been secured by untold toil and effort. It will be maintained by no other method.
    It demands the best of men and women have to give.
    But it likewise awards its partakers the best there is on earth. 144 years later, Marine Lance Corporal Jose Gasca is living those words. God bless him.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At March 20, 2009 1:16 AM  

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