Someone who served in the US Navy and has lived in the US for more than 70 years says he feels like his country “doesn’t want him” now that his identity was questioned in Tennessee.
On July 4, which is Independence Day, David O’Connor is in a fight with the state DMV because they took away his license. After all, they said he couldn’t show he was a US citizen.
NewsChannel5 says the 77-year-old has been a professional truck driver for 61 years and has passed the driver’s test in New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
He also got a license when he moved to Tennessee eight years ago. O’Connor says that his license was taken away by the state last month.
“They told me I shouldn’t have had the license in the first place ‘cause I couldn’t prove that I was a citizen,” O’Connor said.
Even though O’Connor was born in the US, both of his parents had been living in Canada for a short time before he was born, which is why his birth record is from Canada. It was turned down when O’Connor went to the McMinn County Driver Service Center to update his license and get a “Real ID.”
“They told me that wasn’t good. “You should not have had the license in the first place,” O’Connor remembered.”Right then and there, they took away my license.”
He says he has to go through a lot of trouble to show he is an American citizen.
O’Connor told the news source, “I’ve been here for 77 years.” “None of this makes any sense to me.”
He joined the US Navy when he was 17 years old and worked as a sonar technician for four years. Both of his parents were born and raised in the US, and his military discharge papers also name him as an American.
He has a Social Security card, gets money when he retires, and votes every year.
Despite this, the Navy veteran can’t drive, get on a plane, or vote in the November elections until the state gives him permission and a license.
“It seems like your country doesn’t want you. I’ve always tried to do things the right way. He told NewsChannel5, “Now it’s like I’m nothing.”
The O’Connors were meant to go to Vermont to see family earlier, but he couldn’t fly there without a driver’s license. In the end, O’Connor had to cancel his flight and have his son drive them there instead.
Jean O’Connor, his wife, said she was “shocked and angry” about what happened.
She told NewsChannel5, “It just blows my mind.” “I understand nothing. He has lived in this country all his life and is now 77 years old, but they don’t recognize him as a citizen. This makes me very angry.
People on social media were also quick to respond to the story. They said that how O’Connor was treated was “messed up” and silly.
“It’s terrible that they treat him this way.” I hope that he gets this fixed soon. “I hate seeing veterans treated this way,” one person wrote. “This is crazy.” “Who makes these stupid choices?” asked someone else.
