Sikh Soldier Killed in Iraq Granted U.S. Citizenship Posthumously

January 9, 2004

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2061-2004Jan8.html

On January 9, 2004 The Washington Post reported, "From the first time he traveled to the United States as a teenager from his home in Chandigarh, India, Uday Singh knew he wanted to become an American citizen. The 21-year-old Army sergeant received his citizenship papers yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery. The framed certificate was awarded posthumously, presented to his father during graveside services for the young soldier. Singh was killed Dec. 1 in Habbaniyah, Iraq, when his patrol was attacked...[Preet Mahinder Singh, Uday's father,] said his son viewed the military not as a calling but as a path to adulthood. It was, he said, a way to 'take the first steps away from the warmth and security of the family home.' Although he characterized his son as a courageous soldier who enjoyed the Army enough to sign up for a second tour, "this was just another job for him," he said. 'It's not about laying down your life,' Preet Singh said. 'Soldiers like Uday who make the ultimate sacrifice belong to no people or nation, but to God.'"

See also: Sikhism