“Lucky” is how Andrew McKee ’24 describes the feeling of being one of the four history students chosen to take part in the 2023 Charles Kenney WWII Legacy Trip. The trip, in its inaugural year at Flint Hill, offers students the opportunity to visit historic WWII sites in France to deepen their understanding of the sacrifices made generations ago. 

Colin Bean ’24 still remembers the shock of learning that he’d earned a spot on the trip. “I really enjoy history; I have a passion for it, and for my teachers to recognize that and choose me for this opportunity, I’m still speechless about it.” Harriet Hosking ’25 has a similar reflection about being one of the four selected. “I’m an avid history student, but I didn’t think it was going to be me,” she remembers. For Nia Ashenafi ’24, it was going to be her first time traveling to Europe. “I was eager to experience not just the history but the culture as well: the architecture, the people, the language, the food.”

War memorial on Omaha beach in Normandy France at sunrise

Flint Hill and Potomac students with Randy Byrnes (left to right): Andrew McKee ’24, Harriet Hosking ’25, Colin Bean ’24, Randy Byrnes, Nia Ashenafi ’24, Zack Lighthammer, Maddie Magielnicki, Laith Weimer, Rachel Robbins

The Charles Kenney WWII Legacy Trip wouldn’t exist without Charles Kenney and Randy Byrnes, two alumni of Belmont Hill School in Belmont, MA. Charles graduated from the prestigious New England boys school in 2006. Randy, a Flint Hill alumni parent, current grandparent, and former Board member, graduated from Belmont Hill 41 years prior. “I read about Charles in the alumni magazine,” Randy recalls. The alumni story described Charles as a standout Belmont Hill athlete and school leader who loved history, WWII history in particular. “He also had a deep reverence for military service,” Randy says, “He noticed that kids from fortunate backgrounds, who had many options in life, didn’t choose military service in the same percentage as other kids who had fewer opportunities.” According to the Kenney family, that’s what spurred Charles to join the Marines directly after college. In August of 2012, two weeks before his scheduled deployment to Afghanistan, he suddenly and tragically passed away. His family created the Kenney Legacy Trip at his alma mater as a way to spread Charles’ love of country, history, and military service. 

Randy was so moved by Charles’ story that he called Belmont Hill to learn how he could help expand his legacy. He ultimately got the Kenney family’s blessing to replicate the trip at the schools he’s connected to. As of 2023, the gift from Randy makes this one-of-a-kind travel experience available to students and teachers from Flint Hill School, The Potomac School, and The Community School of Naples, FL. “Reading about WWII in history books or watching videos doesn’t really compare to being there physically,” Randy says. He speaks from experience, having made his way there this past spring. “It was heartwarming to be surrounded by all of that history, sad but also invigorating.” 

Andrew, Colin, Harriet, and Nia, along with two Flint Hill faculty members, Amy Clement and Chris Cook, spent nine days this summer touring WWII battlefields and monuments in Normandy and Paris. Their itinerary included visits to Pointe du Hoc, Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, and the Overlord Museum, which is named for the codename Allied forces used for their coordinated invasion of Normandy. Though it’s been 80 years since, remnants of war were visible everywhere. As Nia reflects, “We are privileged that we don’t experience war here at home like other people do, so it was important to go to France and see the toll of war and its lasting impact.” Traveling through the local towns and neighborhoods, students observed a variety of remembrances still being maintained by the French people. On their first day, the group visited the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery, the final resting place of 49 American combat aviators and two of the French officers they fought alongside. For Andrew, visiting the cemetery was the most impactful part of the trip. “The amount of care taken there illustrates the level of honor they continue to have for our fallen.” 

“With each generation that goes by we lose awareness of what it took to have the liberty we all enjoy.”

–Randy Byrnes P’14, ’18, GP’35

Randy Byrnes, a former naval officer and the son of a WWII veteran, laments that the veneration for what took place over there has waned here in America through the generations. “I’m only one generation removed,” Randy says. “These kids are several generations removed. With each generation that goes by, we lose awareness of what it took to have the liberty we all enjoy.” The Charles Kenney WWII Legacy Trip is helping to fan that spirit of awareness. Randy hopes the students who went on the trip will share their experience with their Flint Hill classmates. 

Colin, Harriet, Nia, and Andrew proclaim they’ll do just that. They welcomed Randy for a gratitude reception at Flint Hill this fall to thank him for his generosity and to illustrate how much the trip meant to them. “I can’t even begin to describe how little I understood before,” Harriet reflected. “You think you know something and then you see it in real life and the magnitude and gravity just hits you all at once.” One idea the students brought back was to start the Honoring Service Club for Upper Schoolers interested in writing letters of appreciation to veterans and active service members. As Andrew articulates, “After returning from Normandy, it is clear that the value of the trip is not in how it has served us as individuals, but rather as an investment in how we must go on to serve others.”

Altar with cross and flowers on the British war cemetery in Bayeux, Normandy, France