U.S. President George Bush used his weekly radio address Saturday to mark the nation's Independence Day by celebrating new U.S. citizens and honoring the armed forces.

President George W. Bush holds new citizen Julia White Freeman, of China, at Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, 04 Jul 2008

On Friday, the 232nd anniversary of the birth of the U.S. as an independent nation, Mr. Bush watched more than 70 people take an oath of citizenship. In his address Saturday, the president said these new citizens reminded everyone at the ceremony that "the promise of America is open to all."

Mr. Bush noted that the new citizens came from many countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also praised the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who are risking their lives fighting in those countries.

The president said Americans should be proud to live in a nation that he says has done "more than any other to spread the light of liberty throughout the world."

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.