The Mount Vernon Estate served as the setting for immigrants from more than 25 different countries — 39 children and 100 adults — to become U.S. citizens as they took their oath of U.S. Allegiance on Saturday, June 1. They were welcomed by representatives of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Mount Vernon Estate's President and CEO Dr. Douglas Bradburn who delivered the keynote address to welcome the newly installed U.S. citizens at a happy and emotional welcome ceremony before families and friends.

“George Washington challenged his generation and he challenged all of us to try to strive to make a more perfect union. The United States of America has never been perfect. What it has been is governed by the people,” Bradburn said. “Today you will become part of that people and will strive in that essential effort to continually try to make a more perfect example of liberty under law, representative government, and freedom."

If the occasion and the emotionality of the citizenship ceremony were not enough, Saturday was also Martha Washington's 288th birthday. The first lady was born June 2, 1731 in Chestnut Grove, Va. Symbolically, the first lady was once again here to celebrate the patriotic occasion before the families and friends as she helped to mark their first day of the rest of their lives as U.S. citizens. First Lady Martha Washington had many patriotic things to say about the special day and occasion, and enthusiastically greeted the new citizens to the Mount Vernon Estate, and to the United States of America.