Citizenship dream came true for Waterloo soldier

By: Patrick Kinney

Outlets: Iowa Capital Dispatch

Published: July 2, 2026

Words: 1,957

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 6 days ago

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WATERLOO — Hector Salamanca Arroyo became an American citizen in Africa while serving America as a soldier.

He’s marking his fifth Fourth of July as a U.S. citizen — even though he’s lived in this country since he was a toddler, most of that time in Iowa.

Born in Mexico and raised in Des Moines, the 2011 West Des Moines Dowling Catholic High School graduate finally became a U.S. citizen in late 2021 — …

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