Letter to the editor: Choose your loyalty
· The Washington TimesOPINION:
The issue of dual citizenship was resolved for me a long time ago (“No law currently prevents Congress members from having dual citizenship,” Web, April 20).
When I was 18, I was on call to be registered with the U.S. military draft. As it so happened, Italy, where I was born in 1951, also had a military draft. I was notified that I owed some time to the military in Italy, and I had to make up my mind — even though I had immigrated to the U.S. in 1953.
I chose to remain an American citizen on call for the U.S. military, and I had to renounce my Italian citizenship or pack up and give Italy what was owed.
My deceased parents and sister retained their dual citizenship. My father was 34 when he came to America, so he had no military obligation.
I checked on this years later, and the Italian Embassy confirmed that I had renounced my Italian citizenship.
Erie, Pennsylvania