Courtesy Photo | Pfc. Hyoung Oh, supply specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th Squadron,...... read more read more
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Story by: Sgt. David Dasilma
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – The scene took place in Baghdad on the Fourth of July. His temperature was high, his pulse was throbbing, and he felt faint.
“Something was filling up inside me,” said Pfc. Hyoung Oh, “I thought my heart was going to explode.”
The Soldier, a supply clerk in Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, an Incheon, South Korea native, wondered how he’d found himself in this position.
While Oh knew he was going to become a citizen that day, he, along with the other 156 applicants from 59 different countries, had no idea the ceremony would be presided over by the United States Vice President.
“[VP Joe Biden] really surprised us. He made it a day I will never forget,” reflects Oh. “I was on cloud nine.”
The elation Oh felt at his naturalization ceremony was countered by the intense pressure he felt to get this once-in-a lifetime event right. It was a simple process, walk to the established mark, shake right, receive left, turn and smile, wait for the “click,” repeat. However, this only appeared simple to those in attendance. The process of becoming an American had been anything but simple.
When Oh was a child living in Seoul, South Korea, his parents decided to relocate to the United States. His uncle, already a U.S. citizen, applied to sponsor the Oh family. Unfortunately, there was a huge backlog of cases and it was taking years for many of them to be reviewed. The Oh family’s personal situation required more immediacy; therefore, they took matters into their own hands.
“I remember my mother, sister, and I climbing mountains with Mexicans for an entire day,” said Oh, who at fourteen years old, attempted to illegally cross the border into the United States from Mexico, where his family had migrated. Oh and his mother were caught by San Diego border authorities, while his father and sister made it into the U.S.
Oh and his mother found themselves at a San Diego police station to be investigated. Since laws were less stringent and the border situation less tense than today, Oh and his mother were released to their cousins, who took them to Los Angeles to link up with Oh’s father who had already arrived.
A few years after his entry into the United States, Oh received permanent resident alien status and, after graduating from high school, went full-time into the Korean restaurant business. After ten years of offering tasty bulgogi and kimchi to patrons, Oh decided he wanted to serve people in a different capacity. In 2009, Oh, who was then the restaurant manager, enlisted in the Army.
Several days prior to his current deployment to Iraq, Oh decided he wanted to serve a country he could call his own, rather than just a place he was living in. Upon making this decision, he took full advantage of a Fort Carson, Colo., Army Community Service program designed to assist Soldiers and families with the immigration process.
The great news for Oh was that after the signing of Executive Order 13269, applications from active duty service members would be expedited. In Oh’s case, it took slightly over three months to be approved.
The scene now takes place in a supply office at COB Adder. Oh is very relaxed, his blood pressure is healthy, his nerves are calm, and his smile is bright. He sees a picture of himself and enjoys a quiet moment of personal reflection ---a moment only those who have gone through the naturalization journey can truly appreciate. He appreciates it, for he took the necessary steps. He completed the mission. He is a full citizen of the United States, and he’ll always remember it.
| Date Taken: | 07.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2010 06:17 |
| Story ID: | 53974 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 45 |
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