Thread: Joining the USMC as a foreigner...

Originally Posted by giggs88

I was wrong in a way, I guess. These days you definetly need a green-card or have be a citizen, but in the 40s they probably took anyone who wanted in.

I suppose I did not look at it from the view point of the US taking in pretty much anyone willing to help us out. I was thinking more of the stance that immigrants posed less of a threat to us in the 40's and so would not have as many restrictions as nowadays.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by TopHatsLiberal

Alright, now before I say something and get attacked, I want to say that by no means do I know much of anything about this topic. I am only trying to clear up my own understanding.

OK. I have my grandfather's papers from when he had joined the US Army. He was never a US citizen, he was born and raised in Mexico. In fact, when he went in, he barely spoke English. I know he had never gained citizenship prior to going in as his papers even list him as a "non-citizen" and the SSN is blank.

His wife, my grandmother, had also been raised in Mexico, but she had somehow become a US citizen (I am not clear how, the story has changed at my father's generation level).

My question is, has this all changed during time to not allow imigrants to enlist? I realize that the 1940's were a long time ago, and much is different now than it was then, which is why I ask.

We have always allowed non citizens in the military.

A few things to remember, Immigrant tracking at the federal level didn't start until 1940. Prior to that once you were granted entry, you were suppose to report to the nearest courthouse once a year. And also during that time everyone wasn't required to have a SSN. Not all types of jobs were to be covered under the program. One of the reasons that service numbers were issued in the military.

Even now, non citizens that pay into SS cannot recieve funds when they reach retirement age unless they have become citizens.