Syrian Frank Nassiff of Union County Chooses to Fight for U.S.A., 1917

“May God Bless You, My Boy,” from the editorial page of the Monroe Journal, Sept. 21, 1917

Among the Union County boys who left Wednesday for Camp Jackson was Frank Nassiff, a young Syrian merchant. He is not technically a citizen of this country, not having received the papers of a series of naturalization papers, but this is the land of his choice and adoption. So, when the summons for his appearance before the exemption board to be sworn into the service of Uncle Sam came, he answered without a murmur.

Wednesday, just before leaving town to catch the train, he bade his aged mother good-bye. She, a native of Syria, loves America, and to her son she said: “Go, and may God bless you!”

There are American mothers, born and reared in the spirit of independence who could profit by the example set by this Syrian mother. She did not lament the fact that she “didn’t raise her son to be a soldier.” But sent him away to fight for the flag of her adopting almost without a murmur. Reared in the domain of the cruel Turk, she appreciates American customs and manners. Her parting words to her son is ample proof of that.