I noticed that a lot of visitors were coming to my blog after Googling “Peace Corps Oath.” I had mentioned before (based on hearsay) that it was the same as the Presidential Oath, but I was quite wrong. Let’s look at the similarities between two recent swear-ins:
(Photo taken by me on Oct. 10, 2008, |
(I am from Chillicothe, OH) |
| I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States [so help me God].
-January 21, 2009 |
I, Paul Bradford Blair, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps by working with the people of Kenya as partners in friendship and in peace [so help me God].
-January 8, 2009 |
Frankly I think the Peace Corps oath is much more intense. Well, enough funny stuff… tomorrow I’ll be writing about some of my inroads into the world of educational software.
5 replies on “Two men: one mission?”
Is that what we said during the ceremony? Golly! Wonder who wrote it.
Blair in 2016 ???
I’m missing the connection btwn ‘Peace Corps oath’ and ‘the world of educational software’. Perhaps you mean funny==strange?
I think Joe Biden said the same one we did? Did you watch it? My neighbor had a TV so I did, missed some parts when I stray bird flew at my face ( my life as a slapstick comedy (as you said) continues).
Yeah, I think the VP oath is closer to ours.
As a former Peace Corps volunteer in Tchad, I too was interested in the oath. Here is the federal law. The Peace Corps oath is the same as taken by US Military, civil service, and all elected offices, EXCEPT for President, which is different.
§ 3331. Oath of office
An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall take the following oath: “I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” This section does not affect other oaths required by law.
Hey there,
I’m from Chad (Tchad) republic and as a college student in late 80s and early 90s, I had a couple of PCV teachers, among others Paul Jurczack who also happened to be my thesis advisor. If it is the one here, please can I have his contact information for correspondence?
Thanks.