WYPR: Bill For Fallen Area Soldier Becomes Law (2008-07-02)

Long before Kendell Frederick joined the Army, became a soldier, and died in Iraq while trying to become an American citizen, the Randallstown resident loved the steel bands of his native Trinidad.

Bring in Ambi band when referencing band, track 32, 10-17

So, high on a grassy hilltop at historic Fort McHenry, with the American flag fluttering in the bright morning sunshine, music brought joy to an otherwise somber occasion.

Cross fade band and Ambi pledge, track 35, 00:07-17

Sen. Barbara Mikuski and Congressman Elijah Cummings presented the slain soldier's family with newly signed legislation they co-sponsored, which bears his name.

TAPE: (19 SECONDS), track 37, 00:22
IC: "Now be it hereby known to all present here that this is an official ceremony to present to Michele Murphy and her family a bill that she was the prime mover of, called the Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act.

Sgt. Kendell Frederick, an Army Reservist with the 983rd Engineer Battalion, was killed in October 2005 in Tikrit, Iraq, when a roadside bomb hit his convoy.

The 21-year-old Army mechanic was on his way to be fingerprinted at an immigration office off-base. Frederick, who came to America from Trinidad at age 15, had been trying for more than a year to become a U.S. citizen. But bureaucratic red tape and alleged misinformation by the I-N-S delayed his application.

His mother Michelle Murphy, pushed for the bill, which makes it easier for military service members with green cards to become U.S. citizens. It requires better coordination among U.S. immigration and military officials. Mrs. Murphy.

TAPE: (13 SECONDS), track 59, 00:09
IC: It took me losing my son to bring this awareness. But that's what I had to do was bring awareness to this situation. And it paid off, and I am very excited about that.
Ambi ceremony

The new law directs the Department of Homeland Security to use fingerprints provided by individuals at the time of enlistment to satisfy that requirement; there will also be a hotline in place for questions.

The bill was signed into law last week by President Bush. Despite a request from Senator Mikulski and Congressman Cummings, the President declined to hold a formal ceremony for the bill signing. He sent Mrs. Murphy the ceremonial ink pen he used to sign the new law.

Again, Sen. Mikulski.

TAPE: (16 SECONDS), track 52, 00:26
IC: "The failed leadership at the top refused to recognize the contribution that Green Card warriors make. There are 20-thousand men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan now who have green cards, who would like very much their American citizenship. I fault the President, I fault Mr. Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security. I fault the civilian leadership. They poorly planned the war, and they poorly planned how we support our troops. 01:14

But Sen. Mikulski, who with Cummings worked on this legislation, about two-and-a half years, added how pleased she was.

TAPE: (9 SECONDS), track 53, 00:00
IC: "But today is not a day for anger. It is a day of rejoicing, that we have righted a wrong. And we've done it not through words, but through deeds.

Congressman Cummings says this law is important, but added it will take the cooperation of federal workers to be successful. He stressed that most are competent, but says workers should be mindful that behind every application, there's a human being, including military personnel like Kendell Frederick.

TAPE: (25 SECONDS), track 43, 00:48
IC: "We can pass all the laws we want, but people in these agencies have to do the right thing too. They have to care and make sure that they synchronize their conscience with their conduct so that folks can get through this process. We put the law in place. But we're also sending a message. We can do better than what we've done in this country in regards to Kendell.

Mrs. Murphy, flanked by her family, cried at points during the ceremony, but said overall, she felt she'd honored her son.

TAPE: (9 SECONDS), track 50, 00:03
IC: "I was reflecting back to the day, October 20th, the military members came to my door. From that day to this day has been very long and very hard.

Kendell Frederick was buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His American citizenship was awarded the day of his funeral.

I'm Donna Marie Owens, reporting from Fort McHenry, for 88.1-WYPR.