God, Service, Country, and the Chaminade Magnet

Anthony Quinn is a graduate of the Class of 2007. While at Chaminade he played football and lacrosse for four years, crediting Coaches Moran and Pomponio for dramatically impacting the man he is today. After graduating Chaminade Anthony attended College of the Holy Cross where he played lacrosse for four years and majored in history. Although he enjoyed his time at Holy Cross, Anthony always felt a pull towards military service. He attempted to join ROTC at Holy Cross in his freshman year, but it conflicted with his lacrosse schedule. In his junior year, he applied for the Marine Officer Program at Holy Cross, but an ACL tear derailed his military service attempts yet again.

After graduation from Holy Cross, Anthony worked as a project manager in his family’s construction company in Queens. Although he was satisfied with his work, his fierce patriotism compelled him to fulfill his dream of joining the military. His decision to enlist was in part due to the values and ideals instilled during his time at Chaminade. In a dynamic and complex world, “doing the right thing at the right time because it’s the right thing to do, regardless of who is watching,” has been easy for Anthony directly due to his time spent at Chaminade.

From 2015 through July 2022, Anthony served honorably in 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. During his time in the Ranger Regiment, Anthony completed six combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa. The concept of the “Chaminade Man” was one that he preached to others while in the military.

The inspiration he received from Chaminade to begin this military service came full circle on his final deployment to Afghanistan. As Anthony recalls, “On my second to last deployment in 2021, I found a Chaminade magnet stuck to a white board in our platoon Tactical Operations Center (TOC) at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. As you can imagine, I was astonished when I first saw it. Out of the thousands of Rangers who have rotated through this part of Bagram over the course of the GWOT, the Chaminade magnet endured until the end. When I saw this, I viewed it as a sign and a testament to the type of man that Chaminade produces, validating that ‘a Chaminade man is a man for others, with a lively concern for justice and peace, a profound awareness of the integrity of creation, and a deeply held commitment to service.’ This deployment marked the end of U.S. forces at Bagram (and eventually in Afghanistan), and this magnet was with me and my fellow Rangers as the last Americans left the base.”

Anthony returned the infamous magnet to President Bro. Thomas, so the magnet has truly come full circle. He sent the magnet in gratitude for the influence Chaminade has had on his life. The magnet sits proudly in the display case in the school’s main lobby. Although Anthony does not know who left the magnet, maybe this story will have a second part!

We thank Anthony for his service to our country. Anthony now serves in the Georgia National Guard and resides in Savannah, GA, with his wife, Ellie and their two children, Vivienne, 4, and Anthony III, 1.