He served in Vietnam and lived in U.S. for decades. Now he’s a citizen thanks to veterans home

Ralph Lord would fight in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Ballard Hudson High School.

It would be decades later, however, before the Canadian would become a citizen of the nation he served for in the military and spent more than 60 years living in. Lord, 75, now resides at the Home Port Homeless Veterans Transition Home in west Macon, where he received help along the way to becoming a U.S. citizen.

“When we were kids one of the things we always dreamt about was going to the United States and becoming an American,” Lord said. “Well, when we finally got here, it was different in terms of how you go about it and what to do. I didn’t realize it was going to take so doggone long.”

Lord received some help applying for his citizenship this time from George Brown, who started Home Port as part of the nonprofit American Aviation Group.

Lord was unsure that it would happen this time after being told that he would need to pay an attorney $2,000 for help throughout the process.

It took about a year from when the application was filed before Lord was given the date for his naturalization ceremony.

“He was still kind of doubtful but after he got the notice to come in for the swearing in, he was elated,” said Brown, the former aviation director of the city of Macon. “When he went through the ceremony, he was a happy camper. He said he had been waiting on that for 60 years.”

The timing was unexpected, says Lord, when he was informed it was finally his turn.

“When you think you’re at the lowest part of your life ... and all of a sudden they tell me ‘you’re going to be up for citizenship next week; and I thought oh my god,” he said. “It was incredible.”

Oct. 12 was the day Lord made the trip to Atlanta for the naturalization ceremony.

There was a celebration awaiting him when he arrived back in Macon.

“It’s been something glorious,” Lord said. “Every day you can walk down the street and look and see people and think fine, this is mine now. This is not anybody elses. This is mine.”