The son of a Marine was born January 9th on Okinawa.

Michael H. Ferschke III, the son of a Marine who was killed on a mission in Iraq last August, was born Friday on Okinawa. Hotaru Ferschke delivered the healthy child at 1:18 p.m. at a Japanese clinic near Kadena Air Base. He weighed 7 pounds, 8.8 ounces and was 19.7 inches long.

The much-awaited arrival brings to a close another chapter in a story that began Aug. 10, when Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr., a team leader with Okinawa-based 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, was killed conducting door-to-door searches north of Baghdad.

It was exactly one month after Ferschke and Hotaru exchanged marriage vows by proxy while thousands of miles apart. Hotaru, supported by her in-laws, has vowed to raise her son in the Tennessee town where his father grew up.

Her son seems to be growing stronger every hour, she said Monday in her room at Yabiku Women’s Clinic. A framed photo of her and her husband taken before he deployed, as well as his ID bracelet, were at her bedside table.

“I told my husband that our baby has arrived, although I had a bit of a hard time,” she said, looking at the photo. -{Stars and Stripes}

I blogged about little Mikey’s parents in an earlier post.  Here’s a summary-

Michael Ferschke Jr was a Marine stationed on Okinawa. He met Hotaru Nakama in 2007.  In 2008 before Michael shipped out to Iraq. Just before he left, Hotaru discovered she was pregnant. 

Hotaru and Michael married by proxy in July 2008. A month later, Michael II died in combat. His wife was  informed of the news as she worked her job at Kadena AB.

Shortly afterwards Hotaru’s immigration problems. First she wanted to travel to the US for her husband’s funeral and was denied. She had to get congressional intervention just to get a visa. This was not Hotaru’s first trip to the US. She paid a visit to Michael’s hometown at Christmas 2007. The Ferschke family is from the Marysville Tennessee area.

Hotaru attended the funeral.  Before departing the US to return to Japan, Hota decided she wanted to have the baby in the US and raise him in her husband’s hometown. The Ferschke family is very supportive of Hota, and   have a place for her and Mikey to live.

The US consulate denied Hota a visitor visa, incorrectly citing the two-year rule. Hota was very upset, she told her mother-in-law(Robin Ferschke) at once. Robin went to bat for Hota, and soon three members of Congress plus the Marine Corps began working for the mother.

Hota got a temporary visa, but decided to have Mikey in Japan. She was nervous about the trip, communicating with healthcare workers, and a little weary from the fight to get a visa. Robin and her husband were supportive and began to make plans to travel to Japan a month after their grandson was born in order to bring him and Hota home to Tennessee.

In the meantime a alien relative petition was processed for Hota. ROK Drop readers are pretty smart, I think you know what happened.

Right now, the Ferschkes are planning to make a two-week visit to Japan and return to the states with Hota and the baby on a temporary visa.

However, she says the family is facing a new challenge when it comes to permanent residency.

She says a 1952 law is the problem. According to her, the law does not permit citizenship for Hota, because she did not consummate the marriage, given that the two married by proxy, and Sgt. Ferschke was killed before they reunited.

Robin Ferschke says she is working with lawmakers to change the rules to allow Hota and Mikey to stay. -WBIR

The law exists.It requires a marriage be consummated. Of course that didn’t take place, because Michael Ferschke gave his life for his country and his fellow marines

Gunnery Sgt. Robert J. Blanton may have received a Silver Star on Thursday, but no one was worried about the honor going to his head.

*****

And Blanton remembers Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr., a team leader killed during the fight.

“If Sgt. Ferschke hadn’t done what he did, I’m pretty sure others would have lost their lives,” Blanton said, as he described how Ferschke entered the building to draw the fire of about 10 insurgents, allowing the rest of his team to enter the room and return fire.

“He did something more heroic, meaningful than what I did,” Blanton said. “I just capitalized on an opportunity.”-Stars and Stripes

 So the government sees fit to reward Michael’s heroism and sacrifice by denying the mother of his son legal immigrant status.

If the shithead officials in Japan didn’t want to act and look like complete imbeciles, they may read this law in the mother’s favor.

(4) SURVIVING ALIEN SPOUSES, CHILDREN, AND PARENTS OF CITIZENS WHO DIE WHILE ON ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE IN ARMED FORCES-

`(A) BENEFITS FOR SURVIVORS-

`(i) IN GENERAL- The benefits under this paragraph shall apply only to a surviving spouse, child, or parent of a person who, while a citizen of the United States, died during a period of honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by such service.

`(ii) DETERMINATIONS- The executive department under which the citizen so served shall determine whether the citizen satisfied the requirements of clause (i).

`(B) SPOUSES- Notwithstanding the second sentence of subsection (b)(2)(A)(i), a person who is a surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A), and who was living in marital union with the citizen described in such subparagraph at the time of death, shall be considered, for purposes of subsection (b), to remain an immediate relative after the date of the citizen’s death, but only until the date on which the surviving spouse remarries.-2003 Armed Forces Naturalization Act

 They’re reading the law in the strictest way possible and ignoring what the intent of the law is. Not to penalize immigrant family members of fallen soldiers and marines.

Is our country that thick headed because of illegal aliens that we punish legal immigrants? More likely it is complete stupidity.

I’m in email contact with a member of the Ferschke family. It appears Hotaru will be allowed to enter the US sometime next month on a visitor visa. That lasts six months. As soon as she arrives, a member of Congress will file a private bill on her behalf. That will keep Hotaru in the country, but basically place her in immigration limbo.

The way Hotaru is being treated is an outrage. Supporting the troops means supporting the families of those left behind after a soldier falls serving this country. That includes Michael Ferschke III and his mother Hotaru. Otherwise the often used expression ‘Honoring Those Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice for their Country’ comes out sounding very hollow.