Shown are some of the 755 candidates for American citizenship gathered recently at Turner Field in Atlanta.

TIFTON – As part of Constitution week, 755 candidates for citizenship hailing from 104 different countries were sworn in as new citizens at Turner Field on Sept. 17.

The ceremony, one of nearly 240 naturalization ceremonies held across the country by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, is the culmination of, for many of these new citizens, years of waiting to meet requirements, months of test preparation and sometimes thousands of dollars. Each candidate that attended the ceremony had been rigorously vetted, personally interviewed under oath, and had been required to demonstrate an understanding of the English language, a working knowledge of the fundamentals of the history, principles and form of government of the United States.

The ceremony in Atlanta, which was the largest in the southeastern United States, lasted more than an hour, and a constant theme running through the day was that the United States is a country built of immigrants. Brett Rinehart, Atlanta Field Office director, welcomed attendees, then turned the podium over to John Schuerholz, Atlanta Braves vice chairman.

“We need good people like you to join our country. Ours is a great nation,” Schuerholz said, then highlighted his own diverse ancestry. “You will make us an even greater nation than we have ever been, and perhaps the greatest nation we have ever been.”

Candidates stood when their birth country was listed, and remained standing until all 755 candidates were on their feet. The oath required new citizens to renounce allegiance to any foreign state or ruler, to agree to support and uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States, to bear arms for the country if needed, and to perform any service the country might ask of them. Some of the candidates for citizenship were young, and some were very old and had to be assisted when it was time to raise their hand and take the oath. One was even in his dress uniform, having served in the military before he was even a citizen.

The ceremony ended with the new citizens listening to a message from President Barack Obama, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as their first official act as citizens.