Friday, January 9, 2004
NRI, Uday Singh,
21years 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.
Preet Mahinder Singh, Uday's father said, "Uday had no doubt
in his mind he wanted to be a U.S. citizen. I lost a son. My only
son. But in that instant, Uday had been adopted by the people of two
nations, of which I and my family express our deepest gratitude."
Uday Singh, the first
Indian-born soldier to be killed during the war in Iraq, was fatally
wounded as he traveled in a convoy of vehicles that came under fire,
his father said. Shortly before the attack, Singh had written a letter
to his family saying he planned to return to the United States in
January to be sworn in as a citizen.
Yesterday, his family gathered at Arlington National Cemetery in
the biting cold for a ceremony punctuated with Sikh prayers and a
brief observance in which mourners laid flowers beside the urn containing
Singh's ashes. A 21-gun salute was held as the ashes, brought in a
wooden box draped in an American flag, were buried amid chants of
Sikh prayers. The flag was presented to Uday's father, while his sister
Bani placed flowers at the site.
Mark O'Neill, a Pentagon official, represented the US Army, while
Brigadier Shankar Ghosh and Air Commodore Sumit Mukherjee from the
Indian embassy were present on the occasion
On Sept. 15, just days before he was deployed to Iraq, Singh told
his family, "Have fun while I go save the world. P.S. Pray for
me," his father said yesterday.
Uday Singh was focused
on college and had recently spoken to a commander about finishing
course work in a program for enlisted people at the Military Academy
at West Point, N.Y., and was considering attending the University
of Illinois.