By Jennifer Donovan

Many people join the ALA join to honor a veteran(s) in their life. For Anne Quinn, a Department of West Virginia member, ALA membership began to honor her father’s service. But he wasn’t the only veteran in her life. 
 
Membership in the ALA began with Quinn’s mother, Maureen O’Malley, who became a member in the late 1960s at Unit 272 in Rockaway Beach, N.Y. Quinn and her sister, Marie O’Malley Korber, joined in 1971. Quinn honors her father as an active member of ALA Unit 71 in Charles Town, W.Va., and is a location coordinator for Wreaths Across America. Her sister remains an active member of ALA Unit 272 in New York. 
 
Fenton O’Malley
Quinn’s father, Fenton O’Malley, was a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army until 1946. Then he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. He was an American Legion post commander for Daniel M. O’Connell Post 272 in N.Y.
 
“My dad was very proud of his time in the service and his affiliation with the Fighting 69th,” said Quinn. The 69th Infantry, known as the Fighting 69th, is an infantry regiment of the United States Army from New York City. Many of its recruits were of Irish heritage. The name originated during the Civil War. 
 
“He was a proud member of The American Legion. He fostered a culture of service to our veterans, which was embedded in me,” she said. “During the late 1960s and early 1970s, many of my friends and family served in Vietnam. When returning home, despite the general culture in the U.S., my dad always welcomed them with open arms and encouraged them to join The American Legion.” 
 
Other relatives who served
Quinn has three uncles who served as well. Charlie Duffy was in the Army Air Corps, and later, just like her father, served as a commander for Post 272. Her uncle, James O’Malley, served in the Navy as a deep-sea diver in the Pacific. Another uncle, Bernard Cunningham, served in the Army.
 
Cormac Quinn
Quinn is also married to an Army veteran, Cormac Quinn. He is a past commander of Jackson Perks Post 71 in Charles Town, W.Va., and served in the Army and Army Reserve during Granada.