Jun 30, 2008 11:17 pm US/Eastern
Fallen Md. Soldier Helps Others Become Citizens
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
He gave his life to America. On Tuesday, the nation will honor a fallen soldier who could not become a U.S. citizen until after his death.
Kai Jackson explains why not everyone is satisfied with the recognition he's receiving.
Michelle Murphy has been a mother on a mission.
Murphy's son Kendell Frederick, a sergeant in the Army, was killed in Iraq in October 2005. Some may be surprised to learn that even though Frederick was fighting for America, he was not a U.S. citizen. He was born in Trinidad.
For more than two years, Murphy and others worked tirelessly to change that. Last week, President Bush signed the Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistant Act into law. There will be a ceremony at Fort McHenry to celebrate Tuesday.
Ironically, Frederick had just been re-fingerprinted for citizenship when a roadside bomb exploded, killing him.
The new law is supposed to make the citizenship process easier for service members.
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