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Safety Management Group Associate Becomes U.S. Citizen
9/28/2007
 Indianapolis, September 20, 2007 -- The roll call of countries represented in U.S. District Courtroom 216 included: Brazil, Haiti, Iran, Armenia, Canada, Spain, India, South Korea, China, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Columbia, Pakistan, Mexico, and at least one person from Great Britain. All assembled to undertake the final step in their journey toward United States citizenship.
Safety Management Group associate Mark Sheehan was among this group, completing his four-year odyssey of citizenship today.
Click here for photos.
Born and raised in Limerick, Ireland, Mark relocated to the United States in 2003 to perform the role of safety professional on a Department of Energy project near Cincinnati, Ohio. He joined Safety Management Group in 2005 and is assigned to construction projects in Indianapolis. He was accompanied to the ceremony by his wife Jill and their sons Liam and Charlie.
Seventy-seven people took their oath of citizenship in today's ceremony, many were obviously nervous, but proud of the accomplishment.
The swearing in ceremony was presided over by Magistrate Judge William T. Morris who offered comments to attendees about the step they were about to take, 'The role of law in this democracy is fundamental. It is only fitting that you begin your journey as a citizen of the United States in this room. This is the end of a long journey, but also the beginning of another.'
Judge Morris administered the United States Oath of Citizenship:
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
Two of the newest citizens received special recognition. The oldest member of the class (from South Korea) received a flag that had been flown over the United States Capitol in Washington. The youngest member (from China) led all attendees in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
More brief addresses were given by representatives of the offices of Senator Dick Lugar and Representative Julia Carson. Additionally, brief comments were offered by representatives from the Social Security Administration, and even the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Befitting the bureaucratic nature of modern citizenship, America's newest citizens' first order of business was to quickly line up to submit forms to obtain their revised social security cards.
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