ear Sen. John McCain:

Rigoberto Chacon was an immigrant from Central America. He entered this country legally and later joined the armed forces. He paid the ultimate price for his patriotism and loyalty to his adopted country. On July 15, 1965, a Viet Cong battalion (300 to 500 fighters) attacked his Special Detachment 5891 in Vietnam. He was killed that day but not before helping his unit repel the attack and likely saving the lives of his comrades.

Rigoberto Chacon is an American hero who was not born an American citizen. His name doesn’t appear in any popular books, magazine articles or documentaries about the Vietnam War. The one place you will find his name is on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Before he died, his faith in America set into motion events that have changed my life and certainly the lives of thousands of other Americans for the better.
Before going to Vietnam and after serving during the Korean War, Rigoberto Chacon assisted his youngest brother, Rafael, in coming to our country legally along with another brother and two sisters after he became a citizen. He obeyed the laws of this nation and encouraged his siblings to do the same when assisting them in obtaining visas to enter the United States.

His American Life
Rigoberto Chacon was the oldest of a large family, a role model to his younger brothers and sisters. He believed this country held the promise for the next generation of his family. He never marched in our streets carrying a foreign flag while denouncing our government; he never demanded citizenship when he immigrated here legally. Instead, he bravely served our country for 14 years without regret or complaint and paid the highest price any government can ask of a soldier or citizen.

His extended family’s legacy in this country is too long for me to list here so let me describe just the one vein I know best. His youngest brother Rafael has five children who are all U.S. citizens and all were affected by Rigoberto’s legacy.

Rafael’s eldest son, born in 1968, was named for his fallen uncle, Rigoberto, and today proudly serves in the United States Air Force, stationed in South Korea. Two of Rafael’s other children are public school teachers in Northern California.

Rafael had two other daughters. One, Rebecca, is finishing her Ph.D. in Material Sciences from the University of California, Davis and worked for the Jet Propulsion Lab at Cal Tech. The oldest of Rafael’s children, Carmen, is my wife of 23 years.

Rigoberto Chacon’s life ended in 1965 but his contribution to this great country hasn’t ended. Both his immediate family and extended family continue on in this country as American citizens. They teach the next generation of our children, contribute to the cutting edge of science, raise their children as responsible citizens and even continue serving in the armed forces overseas. Three of Rigoberto’s other siblings have children who have also served in the armed forces or are currently serving today.

The Citizen Chacon
They are a model of the very best that legal immigration from Latin America contributes to this country. You have stated you will re-introduce the immigration reform bill (also called the “Amnesty Bill”) to put millions of illegal aliens on a path to U.S. citizenship. You have now said not that until after our nation’s borders are secure will the bill grant amnesty—a wise position.

Citizenship in an adopted country is a privilege that should be earned, not a political chip surrendered to angry mobs that defy our laws.
Rigoberto Chacon, like thousands of other immigrant soldiers – some of whom serve in Iraq today – understood that freedom isn’t free. As you consider introducing another immigration reform bill, especially if you become president, please don’t succumb to those in Congress who want to make breaking our immigration laws the only qualification to becoming a U.S. citizen.

Rigoberto Chacon gave this country everything he had though he was not born a U.S. citizen. This is proof that legal immigrants from Latin America can and do become great Americans though their modest nature means their stories are seldom told. Illegal aliens who march to demand citizenship via immediate amnesty deserve neither. Citizenship should be a special privilege only bestowed upon those immigrants who love this country and understand what it is to be a citizen.

Sincerely,
Liam Weston