Friday marked another Independence Day for the U.S., But for dozens of people throughout the Central Florida area, it also marked the day they became U.S. citizens.
News 13 attended Naturalization Ceremonies and heard the stories of those who have tried for years to call themselves Americans.
With their right hands raised for this solemn oath twenty six people from all across the world became American Citizens this independence day in Central Florida.
It took tests, interviews and years to get to this point. But for Antonio Adao, it took 56 years.
See in 1958, Adao immigrated here from Portugal when he was just 15 years old. A few years later though, Adao stood and fought proudly for his new country.
“In 1964 I was drafted into service and in 1965 I went to Vietnam,” said new U.S. citizen Antonio Adao.
He fought for one year in Vietnam before he was injured.
“I lost an arm and a leg there. I got back to the United States I was in the hospital for a year and a half. And everything went well. I got married. Had Kids. Life was fine ... I love the United States,” said Adao.
He earned a purple heart for his service to this country.
And for years he believed, as did his family, that he was a U.S. citizen after fighting for this country. But when he went to renew his driver’s license a few years back he realized that he technically wasn’t.
That changed Friday, on the fourth of July, when Adoa walked across the stage and became an American citizen.
Adao, alongside 25 other people with stories of their own, all proudly received their proper papers making it official; they are Americans.