--- title: "Meet 19 Of America’s Newest Marines — And Naturalized US Citizens" date: "2017-07-24" modified: "2017-07-24" authors: - name: "James Clark" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/19-marines-and-naturalized-us-citizens/" categories: - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "News" --- # Meet 19 Of America’s Newest Marines — And Naturalized US Citizens ![]() For 19 young men and women, earning the title United States Marine was just one of their crowning achievements this month. The other: becoming U.S. citizens. After demonstrating their knowledge of the English language and American civics, 16 men and three women took the [Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution]() and became U.S. citizens, during a July 13 naturalization ceremony at Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. The following day, they graduated and were minted Marines. Related: Young Immigrant Recruits In The US Military Worry They Could Be Deported » “For these Marines, today's naturalization ceremony represents their final step in their journey to American citizenship,” Brenda Washington of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services [said in a Department of Defense statement](). “Their path to citizenship is especially remarkable because they first pledge themselves to support and defend the United States before choosing to become American citizens.” Here are the 19 new devil dogs who recently earned the title of U.S. citizen: ### Pvt. Daniel Ramirez Rodriguez from Cullman, Alabama, was born in Mexico. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pfc. Ambar N. Zaiek Parades, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is originally from the Dominican Republic. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Waylon F. LaFrance was born in Canada, and hails from Hogansburg, New York. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pfc. Dang H. Doung, from Warren, Michigan, was born in Vietnam. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Jhonatan A. Velarde, from Newark, New Jersey, was born in Ecuador. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Carlos L. Espana Palencia from Lehigh Acres, Florida, was born in Guatemala. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Zetian Ni, from Pittsburgh, was born in China. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Annalice M. Daley of Baltimore was born in Jamaica. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pfc. Rodrigo M. Malpartida from Ossining, New York, was born in Peru. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Khalid M. Ngwegwe from Greenbelt, Maryland, was born in Tanzania. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Kervin Stcyr, from Brooklyn, New York, is originally from Haiti. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pfc. Ariel Castillo, from Miami, was born in Cuba. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Born in Mexico, Pfc. Dulce F. Manriquez hails from Tuscon, Arizona. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Jean Malhado from Secaucus, New Jersey, was born in Brazil. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Yongchang Gao, from New York, was born in China. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pfc. Daniel A. Guzman hails from New York, and was born in the Dominican Republic. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Born in Haiti, Pfc. Serdjhy Leger, hails from Orlando, Florida. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Pvt. Juan C. Rosales Guerin, from Miami was born in Mexico. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() ### Born in Peru, Pvt. Julian R. Torres, is from Fort Pierce, Florida. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Maximiliano Bavastro ![]() **WATCH NEXT:** ## Author James Clark is the editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()