MOUNT VERNON, Va. (DC News Now) — “America’s First Action Hero. Love, Arnold.”
That was the message on the wreath that Arnold Schwarzenegger placed at the tomb of George Washington on July 4 when the former California governor visited Mount Vernon, home of the country’s first president.
Schwarzenegger was the keynote speaker at a naturalization ceremony in which more than 100 people from 95 countries took the oath to become citizens of the U.S.
The actor and former governor, who was born in Austria, took the oath in 1982.
“The day I raised my right hand and became an American citizen was, without a doubt, one of the greatest days of my life,” Schwarzenegger said. “If you told me on that day that 43 years later I would be standing at Mount Vernon, the home of one of my heroes and a historic symbol of freedom and democracy, to welcome more new citizens, I would have been shocked.”
“But that’s the beauty of the United States of America: nothing is impossible,” he continued.
Schwarzenegger added, “I owe everything to this country, and I can’t wait to share this moment with these new citizens to remind them of the limitless opportunity afforded by their new home. I hope they will feel the same debt of gratitude that I’ve tried to repay throughout my whole life by giving back, being committed to our Constitution, and united by our shared values.”
The action film star provided design input for the wreath. The flowers that were part of it included white yarrow and Austrian fir to represent Austria, white stock, red, and blue anemone, along with silver dollar eucalyptus to represent California, freedom red roses, dark and light blue delphinium, white hydrangea, and red hypericum berry to represent Mount Vernon.
Doug Bradburn, Mount Vernon President and CEO, read Washington’s Prayer for His Country.