Pissed Off Patriot

Last night I spent many a restless hour, having irritating thoughts run through my mind. The loss of my US Top Secret Security Clearance because of dual citizenship is one of the more irritating. There are some who will say "why should someone with dual citizenship have a security clearance" To them I say "why not". In a 1967 ruling in Afroyim v. Rusk, the Supreme Court used an argument derived from the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to affirm a right to dual citizenship.
Let me go back to the origin of my security clearance and the dual citizenship, and see if I can't convince myself that the Office of Homeland Security did the right thing by withdrawing my security clearance.
I was a US Army officer and pilot with service on Active duty, National Guard and Reserve for 30 years when I learned during a trip to Ireland that I was eligible for Irish Citizenship as a second generation Irish American. Being raised in a strong Irish Catholic family, it was exciting to know that I could be recognized as a citizen of the country of my heritage. I even applied for and received an Irish Passport, knowing I could not leave or enter the US with it. But, it was more for ethnic pride than anything else. I was at the time a soldier in the US Army and I held a Top Secret Security Clearance. I, as a volunteer, had performed service in the Vietnam conflict as a helicopter pilot and had service in the Bosnia conflict as a C-12 pilot. No question where my loyalties lie.
But in 2001, after 35 years of service, (yeah I loved my job), I was directed to an office of Homeland Security and advised to return my passport to the Irish Embassy and to deny my Irish citizenship. In fact a statement was typed while I waited and my signature was required before I was allowed to leave the building. Now to complicate matters I was on Orders to depart for service in a Imminent Danger area in several days. Refusing to sign the statement would have jeopardized the mission. With 35 years of service, I could not allow my inaction to be responsible for the cancellation of a mission. So, with feelings of duress and disbelief that my loyalties were questioned, I signed. Upon return to the US, I researched the dual citizenship issue and came upon the Supreme Court decision affirming the right of of an American born citizen to hold dual citizenship. Had I served my country for 35 years, received numerous awards and recognitions for my service, volunteered in 3 hostile fire, imminent danger zone assignments, to have my loyalty questioned and my rights as affirmed by the Supreme Court be denied. I don't think so. I dispatched a letter to Homeland Security questioning their assault on my loyalties and tactics. I withdrew my statement signed under duress. The rest is history.
I remained in the National Guard, but with a deployment to Afghanistan imminent, and me now nondeployable because of loss of security clearance, I was a burden on the unit and I retired.
I continue to think about the tactics of Homeland Security and will forever be irritated by my loss of security clearance. I am proud of my service to my country and wonder if they're proud of their service to me.