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NPS Photo / G. Purifoy
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Contact: Adam Gresek, 610-783-1008
Contact: Gregory Purifoy, 610-331-4329
King of Prussia, Pa. — The National Park Service (NPS) and the Philadelphia field office of the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) welcomed 21 new citizens on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 during a naturalization ceremony held at the statue of General Friedrich von Steuben in Valley Forge National Historical Park.
The ceremony was held overlooking the historic landscape of the Grand Parade where General von Steuben, an immigrant from Prussia who came to the United States during the Valley Forge encampment, trained and professionalized the United States Army in 1778. The National German American Alliance commissioned the statue of Friedrich von Steuben in 1915 to honor the contributions of German immigrants to the United States.
USCIS Field Office Director Michael Catalano administered the Oath of Allegiance to the 21 citizenship candidates, who came from 14 different countries of origin: Algeria, Bangladesh, Germany, Guatemala, India, Iran, Jamaica, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Keynote speakers included Mayor Pete Urscheler of Phoenixville Borough, Pennsylvania, and Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder. Their remarks reflected the sense of community that comes with citizenship.
Additional support for the ceremony was provided by the Washington Memorial Chapel, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Valley Forge Park Alliance. For many of the new citizens, it was their first time visiting Valley Forge and the backdrop of a national park added to the significance of the day.
The public is encouraged to visit nps.gov/vafo for more information about Valley Forge National Historical Park, and uscis.gov for more information on USCIS and its programs, and to find a gallery of photographs from the ceremony below.
- NPS -
Last updated: November 1, 2024