A Lesson on the Ultimate Sacrifice
When Mrs. Maura Messinger visited Mr. Mark Smith's U.S. History Class, she offered a first-hand account of what it meant to be brave in the months following 9/11.
By, Thomas Dunn '20
Student Beat Writer
West Roxbury, Mass- Sacrifice and bravery look different beyond the pages of a textbook. Catholic Memorial School English teacher Mrs. Maura Messinger understands this all too well.
Student Beat Writer
West Roxbury, Mass- Sacrifice and bravery look different beyond the pages of a textbook. Catholic Memorial School English teacher Mrs. Maura Messinger understands this all too well.
In her presentation to several U.S. History classes last Tuesday at CM, Mrs. Messinger explained what it meant for her brother, Kyran Kennedy, to make the ultimate sacrifice. Her presentation paid tribute to her deceased brother, a former Army Chief Warrant Officer who died while piloting a Black Hawk helicopter during the Iraq War.
During her emotional presentation, Mrs. Messinger recollected her childhood with Mr. Kennedy, his decision to join the Army, and America’s decision to enter the Iraq War in the months after 9/11. She remembered her brother as a quiet kid with a huge heart.
A typical “middle child,” she said.
“There are two sides to every coin,” said Mrs. Messinger, who began her teaching career at CM when the middle school first opened in 1993.
“A city boy from Boston with a wife from Nahant, bought a farm in Kentucky. Sounds like the introduction to a really bad short story.”
Ms. Messinger and Mr. Kennedy grew up in a 10-child household in West Roxbury. Mr. Kennedy attended Xaverian Brothers’ High School in Westwood and matriculated to UMass Boston. He later married his wife Kathy and had three children.
At 29 years old, Mr. Kennedy enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was considered the grandfather of his group because all the other people in his division were 18 or 19 years old.
“His decision [to join the Military], [was] really kind of silly because, in many ways, he was the kind of kid who fought against every kind of structure placed on him. Any kind of order, always fighting it,” said Mrs. Messinger.
He specialized in aviation and trained to become a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. His 101st airborne division was based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 2003. After a decade of service, Mr. Kennedy earned the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Three.
He and his wife loved Kentucky. They bought a farm and moved their family closer to the military base.
Most military families expect to live in one area for one-to-two years at a time before moving to their next base. After years of traveling, Mr. Kennedy sought more stability for his family. He figured that if he signed up for a one-year unaccompanied tour in Korea, then he could return to Kentucky for the foreseeable future.
On September 11, 2001, this reality changed. Four hijacked commercial jets attacked the American mainland in an unprecedented act of terrorism. The United States declared war on Iraq in February of 2003. Within that same month, the Army deployed Mr. Kennedy to the Middle East.
Months later, he found himself ready to put his life on the line. On November 7, 2003. Mr. Kennedy co-piloted a Black Hawk helicopter flying just outside of Tikrit, Iraq, on the Tigris River when a missile hit. The explosion killed all four men on the aircraft.
Amidst the wreckage, military operatives recovered Mr. Kennedy’s body. They returned his body to Mrs. Messinger’s family who laid him to rest in Milton.
What stuck out most to Mrs. Messinger and her family were the small, yet profound, acts of kindness that they received in the days and months that followed.
The daughter of Mr. Kennedy’s fourth grade teacher attended a memorial mass at St. Theresa’s. St. Theresa’s pastor Fr. Helmick spent weeks visiting and comforting her parents. Ms. Messinger received letters and bouquets from families in West Roxbury, many of whom belonged to the CM family.
A woman from Virginia heard about Mr. Kennedy’s sacrifice and contacted Mrs. Messinger. The woman belonged to a military family and participated in a marathon to raise funds for military families. Teams of runners carried military backpacks in honor of fallen soldiers. The woman asked to run for Mr. Kennedy.
Touched by the gesture, Mrs. Messinger and her family sent the woman a ribbon commemorating Mr. Kennedy. The woman wore it proudly during her race.
The woman’s gesture reminded Mrs. Messinger that Mr. Kennedy’s sacrifice touched the lives of those beyond his West Roxbury and Kentucky communities. His sacrifice forever lives in such small acts of kindness.
Story written by Thomas Dunn ’20, a student life beat reporter and member of CMTV.
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Catholic Memorial, the Christian Brothers School of Boston, prepares boys for college, manhood and a world full of unknown challenges, ambiguity and complex problems and the importance of relationships.
