PUT-IN-BAY – Nine immigrants will be sworn in as new United States citizens at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial as part of the park’s Independence Day program on Tuesday, July 4th. The Naturalization Ceremony will begin at 11am on the back porch of the park’s Visitor Center. Those certified to become citizens of the United States have immigrated from Poland, Ghana, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Romania, and France.
“We are very proud to welcome and honor nine new United States citizens at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial on Independence Day,” said park Superintendent Barbara Fearon. “There is no better place to take the Oath of Citizenship than the National Park Service’s only International Peace Memorial.”
The Honorable James G. Carr, Senior United States District Court Judge of the Northern District of Ohio’s Western Division, will preside. Scott Koons, an officer with the United States Customs and Immigration Service, will present the new United States Citizens with their certificates. Superintendent Fearon will welcome everyone and present each new citizen with a certificate commemorating their oath at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, along with a coin celebrating the Treaty of Ghent that restored peace between the United States and Great Britain after the War of 1812. American Legion Post #542 of Put-in-Bay’s Color Guard will post the colors during the ceremony, and Debra Parker will sing the National Anthem and “Proud to be an American.” The Reverend Mary L. Staley will give the Invocation and the Benediction. Representatives of the League of Women Voters will be present to register the new citizens to vote.
The new citizens and their families will be treated to a private luncheon provided by the Perry Group at the park following the ceremony.
At 5pm the Firelands String Duo will perform a selection of classical and pop hits, including patriotic songs to celebrate Independence Day. The concert will take place on the back porch of the Visitor Center and last about 55 minutes.
Put-in-Bay Businesses and Friends of the Bay will unveil the annual July 4 Fireworks about 10 pm. The aerial display is shot off a barge in the downtown harbor. Many view the fireworks from the National Park property. Rangers will assist visitors parking at the Visitor Center lot, the Peace Garden, and the overflow area on the park’s eastern lawn.
About Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. The park was established to honor those who fought and died in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812 and to celebrate the long-lasting peace between the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. The Memorial, a Doric column, rising 352 feet over Lake Erie is situated 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world. For more information about Perry’s Victory visit http://www.nps.gov/pevi, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial on Facebook, Twitter @PerrysVIPM, instagram @perrysvictorynps, or call 419-285-2184.