Faster Citizenship for Immigrant Soldiers

Re “Military Citizenship Act Hailed,” Dec. 4: As a 21-year-old in 1962 I obtained my green card for permanent residency and signed up with my local draft board, as I was obligated to do. In late 1963 I received my draft notice and entered the service in 1964 and served until 1968. Something known as the Vietnam conflict was going on at that time, but it didn’t provide me with any special dispensation for applying for citizenship.

In fact, serving in the military made no difference. I still had to have the required five years of residency that everyone else was required to have to apply for citizenship. I applied in 1967 and became a citizen in 1968. I have a great deal of difficulty understanding what makes today’s military personnel any different from those in the era in which I served that gives them a special privilege of having to serve only one year in the military before they can apply for citizenship.

Garry Giem

Anaheim