The McNally story

When William Joseph McNally left his home in County Cavan for America, he was just eighteen years old. Like so many young Irishmen of his generation, he crossed the Atlantic with little more than hope, determination, and dreams of building a better life. He could never have imagined that within a few years, the world would be engulfed in the Great War and that his adopted country would call him to serve.
Although he was living in New York, William was still legally considered a British subject because Ireland was a colony of the United Kingdom. Rumors spread through the Irish immigrant community that British authorities might draft eligible Irishmen into the British Army. Whether the threat was real or simply feared, William had no desire to fight under the British flag. Like many Irish immigrants whose families had endured generations of hardship under British rule, his loyalties lay elsewhere.

Seeing an opportunity to both avoid any possible British conscription and demonstrate his commitment to his new homeland, William enlisted in the United States Army. It was also believed that military service could help speed the path toward American citizenship.

Before reporting for overseas duty, William married his sweetheart, Mary Marceline Mahon, another young Irish immigrant whose family roots stretched back to County Leitrim. Their wedding took place on the eve of his departure for France. There was little time for celebration. Instead of a traditional honeymoon, the young couple spent their first night together at a Knights of Columbus hall near the military base—a brief moment of happiness before war separated them.

Soon afterward, William sailed for France with the American Expeditionary Forces. By the time he arrived, the war was nearing its end, but the Army followed a simple rule: "Last in, last out." Those who arrived late remained behind while earlier units returned home. For William, that meant spending an additional year in France, far from his new bride.

During his time overseas, William hoped to visit his family back in Ireland. The journey across the English Channel seemed close enough to imagine, but permission never came. His Protestant commanding officers repeatedly denied his requests for leave. It was a disappointment he carried for years, knowing he had come so close to home without being allowed to see those he had left behind.

Eventually, his service ended, and William finally returned to New York, where Mary had patiently waited for him. Together, they began the life they had dreamed of before the war. They built a home filled with faith, hard work, laughter, and perseverance.

William and Mary raised nine children, passing on the values that had carried them across an ocean and through the hardships of war. Among those children was my father, whose life—and ultimately mine—would never have been possible without the courage of an eighteen-year-old immigrant who chose America, served his adopted country, and devoted the rest of his life to his family.