Ripley, W.Va. ? On the first Independence Day since Sept. 11, President Bush paid tribute Thursday to American veterans and offered a feisty defense of the Pledge of Allegiance after a federal court questioned its constitutionality.

“The American people, when we pledge our allegiance to the flag, feel renewed respect and love for all it represents, and no authority of government can ever prevent an American from pledging allegiance to this one nation under God,” Bush said.

In the heart of small-town West Virginia, a crowd of thousands recited the pledge and shouted for emphasis the passage cited as unconstitutional by a federal appeals panel in San Francisco. “One nation, UNDER GOD!” they said.

Bush reminded Americans of the sacrifices made by military personnel and veterans.

Serving in the armed forces is “the highest form of citizenship,” he said. “Whether the veterans here served in peacetime or in the worst battles, you have the nation’s gratitude and the respect of your fellow Americans.”

He offered an Independence Day gift to 15,000 immigrants serving active duty in the U.S. military: immediate eligibility for citizenship.

Ripley’s Courthouse Square provided the quintessential small-town backdrop for Bush’s address. The president spoke before the handsome Jackson County Court House. Veterans and uniformed military personnel sat behind him and on his right, and thousands of people packed the square and spilled out into nearby streets. Flags and red, white and blue bunting graced practically every corner of the square, and a military band played a greatest-hits medley of patriotic songs.

Ripley spent days polishing the town for Bush’s arrival, and Bush felt the hospitality from the moment he touched down. Eighty-one-year-old Mabel Chapman personally mowed her lawn so it would be in top shape when the president’s helicopter landed on it Thursday morning.

For her efforts, Chapman got a hug and a kiss from the president.

Bush won this strongly Democratic state in 2000, and has carefully tended it ever since, visiting four times. The crowd greeted Bush with chants of “USA! USA! USA!”

Later, Bush was to watch fireworks from a White House balcony.

The White House has sent mixed signals to Americans spooked by terrorists with a record of striking symbolic targets. On the one hand, Bush has said, they should celebrate “heartily.” But they should also be vigilant against the possibility of attack. At the same time, they should know law enforcement is on high alert.

Security concerns loomed over Ripley, population 3,400, on Thursday.

“I don’t want to dwell on it,” said the mayor, a former law enforcement officer. “If we let these people trying to destroy us know we’re running scared, then they’ve got us over a barrel.”

Robert Stanley, an employee of Comer’s Shoes near City Hall, said he sees no point in worrying about foreign terrorists.

“Come down to it, we don’t need them to come from out of the country,” Stanley said. “We’ve got plenty of those crazies right here in West Virginia.”

A White House paper outlining the change to immigration policy described it as a way to reward noncitizen personnel serving on active duty during the post-Sept. 11 war on terrorism. Citizenship, in turn, will improve the retention of military personnel by allowing them to advance their Armed Forces careers, the White House said.

While legal permanent residency is all that is required to enlist in the U.S. military, only citizens can be promoted to commissioned or warrant officers, or serve in special warfare programs such as the Navy SEALs.

Current rules allow immigrants enlisted in the Armed Forces to apply for naturalization after three years of service, as opposed to nonmilitary immigrants who must bank five years of legal residency before becoming eligible.

More than 31,000 noncitizens are currently serving on active duty – accounting for between 3 percent and 4 percent of America’s total military personnel – with just over half already eligible for citizenship consideration. The rest, an estimated 15,000 men and women, have not yet completed their three-year wait. It is this group that would benefit from Bush’s executive order eliminating any waiting period.

President Carter signed a similar executive order following Vietnam; President Clinton did the same after the Persian Gulf War.