President George W. Bush helped to swear in 76 new U.S. citizens Friday. Many say it's a dream come true.

There was a feeling of excitement in the air at Monticello. Many of the new U.S. citizens say they received a gift by having Bush attend their naturalization ceremony.

KrishnamachariI Rajagopalan says,"I couldn't imagine the excitement and all the people here. To get citizenship in front of the President, with the President in the Thomas Jefferson home. It's a lot. You're an American basically."

It's been a dream many years in the making. The freedom that comes with a U.S. citizenship seemed a distant goal for so many of the people at Monticello but as Hataw Taha explains, it's something she's been waiting for for a lifetime.

Taha says, "We have waited very long time to get into this moment, but now we are very happy right now, yeah."

Bush greeted each of the new citizens many of whom had never seen him in person and who found the experience overwhelming.

Taha explains, "It makes the day very, very special, not only just for me, but for everybody here."

While welcoming them as new citizens, the president took time to explain the significance of the historic day.

Bush says, "From this day forward, the history of the United States will be part of your heritage. The Fourth of July will be part of your Independence Day, and I will be honored to call you a fellow American."