On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 21:11:15 -0400, "W P Dixon"
wrote:

Maybe if we could get more of the left wing radicals to serve their
country we would not have to depend on foreign folks defending it? It's sad
that it happens, and it does. Most governements have no worry at all about
someone from another country fighting for them. I guess it goes to " let
some other sucker die for my country why should I" mentality.

The U.S. generally has taken the position that citizenship can be
earned, and what better way to earn it than to served in the armed
forces? At one time indeed, in order to attract more foreign-language
specialists into the army, while at the same time providing a haven
for Iron Curtain escapees, you could join the U.S. Army for five years
and at the end of your service, assuming you'd behaved yourself and
mastered the (very minimal) knowledge requirement, get your
citizenship along with the discharge papers. They were called "Lodge
Act enlistees." I served with a bunch of them in Special Warfare at
Fort Bragg, both in PsyWar and in Special Forces.

At that time, too, Puero Ricans made up a disproportionate number of
NCOs in the army. I suspect that Mexicans provide that filler today.

Then there was the case of the German merchant sailor who thought New
York looked pretty, so he jumped ship, got a job, driver's license,
registered for the draft ... oops! got drafted, was stationed in
Germany. Somehow the word got out, and the State Dept had to issue him
a passport so he could come home (i.e., to New York).

I think it's pretty neat.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

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