A 94-year-old D-Day veteran appeared in Atlanta on Monday to receive proof that he is a U.S. citizen. He planned to get a passport and travel to France later in the day for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy.
Sherwin Callander of Madison, Ala., received his citizenship certificate at the Atlanta office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“I’m so proud to receive it,” Callander said. “I’m so proud of these people who expedited it and got it for me.”
A Navy veteran, Callander did not have documents proving his citizenship. He was born in Canada but is a U.S. citizen because his mother was one, according to USCIS.
“I believed all my life I was a citizen,” Callander said. “My mother was a citizen. My dad … was born in Scotland but he lived in Canada. But I always believed I was a citizen.
“I went through all my schools saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag every morning. You had to do that when I went to school. And then I joined the Navy. And nobody asked me for proof before until I wanted to go to France.”
USCIS spokeswoman Sharon Scheidhauer said, “We worked quickly to get this decorated veteran his rightful document so he can travel to the D-Day anniversary commemoration, and we thank him for his selfless service to our country.”
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