Originally Posted by
Warp9Flyer
My parents were stationed in a US military base on the island nation of Taiwan in 1960's. (both mom and dad were officers, a major and a captain) I was born a year and half later inside the on-base military hospital. My US passport has always said "Place of Birth: Taiwan" since that's where I was born.
(making me not eligible to run for US president... bummer...
)
Recently I met another guy who was in the exact same situation as me. He was born two years after me at the same US military base, same US military hospital. However, his US passport said "Place of Birth: U.S.A." !!!??? He had no idea how that happened... but that's how it always appeared. We were discussing this because it appears that John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate was also born to military parents on a US military base. Questions were raised about his eligibliity to run, due to the "natural born citizen" requirement...
Does anybody know which is correct?(my passport or his passport?) I actually still have my very first US passport, issued in 1972, a few years after my parents were re-assigned back to the continental US.
McCain was born in Panama when it was also referred to as "the Canal Zone"
(leased to the US for 99 years)... so technically, he was born on US soil.
In your case the US base was on leased land to the US Government.
Only US embassies and US consulates hold the "US sovereignity" entitlement.
Curious how your friend got his passport to read "born in the US." which is NOT true. Possibly he wrote it that way on his passport application and somebody didn't look that close when checking documents... ???
Or, could it possibly be that his birth was not recorded on base but direct through consular channels?
I mean post offices for passports.... I've alwasys said THAT was a very careless and very STUPID idea...
THAT is abouit to change dramatically...as we tighten down the hatches even more on security issues...
Anyhow as for me, I was born in Newfoundland (dad and mom US citizens military) assigned there... I hold dual US and canadian citizenship and because I was born in canada am also ineligible for US president; however I
hold a great slot with Senior level USG service.