The Foreign-Born Heroes Who Chose America

When Justice Neil Gorsuch recently described America as a “creedal nation”—one defined by ideas rather than bloodlines—it sparked a debate. But Gorsuch is right about this: America is based on the ideas of the Declaration of Independence, not heritage.

America’s unique capacity to attract and assimilate people from around the world has proven this thesis since its founding. From the American Revolution to today, foreign-born individuals have fought for America—not because they shared a lineage with native-born Americans, but because they believed in America’s principle of individual rights and chose to defend it.

Perhaps the most famous example of a foreign-born revolutionary is that of the Marquis de Lafayette. In his memoirs, he recalls hearing King George III’s brother mock the ideals of the American Revolution at a 1775 dinner—and immediately resolving to learn more and join the cause. “My heart was enlisted and I thought only of joining my colors to those of the revolutionaries,” he later wrote. The Marquis sailed to these shores at age 19 and fought in many battles, including Yorktown in 1781, where he played a crucial role.

Lafayette chose to fight for America after he became enamored with the cause for independence. In 1778, he wrote: “The moment I heard of America I loved her; the moment I knew she was fighting for freedom I burnt with a desire of bleeding for her; and the moment I shall be able to serve her, at any time, or in any part of the world, will be the happiest of my life.” 

He wasn’t the only foreigner who felt this profound reverence for this country, even though he didn’t have any prior connection to it.

Prussian-born military officer Baron von Steuben is regarded as one of the fathers of the United States military. Recruited by Benjamin Franklin, the veteran officer joined the Continental Army to professionalize its ranks. Appointed temporary inspector general and dismayed at the state of the Army, von Steuben developed a training program that radically improved the Americans’ abilities to fight the war. His role was instrumental in the American victory, and the military regulations he developed continued assisting military efforts until 1814.

Though he did not share a language with the Americans, von Steuben shared their devotion to freedom. “The honor of serving a respectable Nation, engaged in the noble enterprise of defending its rights and Liberty, is the only motive that brought me over to this Continent,” he wrote to Congress in 1777. To George Washington, he wrote: “The object of my greatest ambition is to render your Country all the Services in my Power, and to deserve the title of a Citizen of America by fighting for the Cause of your Liberty.” An American in every respect except on paper when he fought, von Steuben became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1784.

Polish-born soldier Casimir Pulaski didn’t get such an honor, as he died during the Siege of Savannah at 34. Pulaski’s own words reveal his motivation to join the Revolutionary cause: “I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it,” he wrote to George Washington.

Recruited for his military expertise and commitment to freedom, Pulaski eventually took command of the Pulaski Legion, a cavalry unit composed of American and foreign recruits. Like von Steuben, Pulaski didn’t speak English, yet earned the titles of “Father of the American Cavalry” and “Soldier of Liberty” for his commitment to this country.

The pattern of foreigners defending America didn’t stop after the Revolutionary War. Immigrants have fought in every war since then, and do so to this day (even in conflicts that often have little to do with the ideals they enlisted to defend, and even as the government moves to deport some of them). Per a recent congressional report, an estimated 50,000 non-U.S. citizens were serving in the Armed Forces as of February of 2026, and there are approximately 125,000 non-citizen veterans who previously served in active duty living in the U.S. (This figure doesn’t count foreign-born veterans who have become citizens.)

Among those who served is Alfredo Rascon Velasquez, a Mexican-born veteran who originally entered the country illegally and won the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. He eventually became a U.S. citizen. “I was always an American in my heart,” he said when asked why he had volunteered to join and go to Vietnam before he was even a citizen. He describes himself as “Mexican by birth, American by choice.”

A key thread in all these cases is that they reflect a first-hand, purposeful admiration for American values, not sacrifice or blind devotion for an inherited cause imposed on them. These individuals understood that they had something to gain: They fought for the country they wanted to live in, knowing that America’s revolutionary principle of individual rights enabled the freedoms they wanted to enjoy. Their Americanism and commitment come from understanding these principles, not from “ethnicity” or tribal duty.

America is, as Gorsuch said, a nation based on the ideas of the Declaration of Independence, and these ideas have persuaded millions across the world for 250 years. The foreign-born men and women honored on Memorial Day made a version of a choice millions of immigrants make every day: to embrace a country defined by individual rights, not bloodlines.

This column was first published in the Orange County Register.