Our Story
How It Began
From a portrait at London’s Special Forces Club to the first Memorial Trek across the Pyrenees.
Our Namesake
Virginia Hall
The Virginia Hall Legacy Foundation is proposed as a public-facing historical and educational organization. Virginia Hall is its namesake and central inspiration. Its programs will also examine lesser-known individuals and networks whose contributions to the Allied resistance deserve wider attention.
The Foundation is organized around three purposes: preserving historical memory, strengthening relationships among allies, and educating future generations.
From Idea to Expedition
The road to the first trek.
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London
A familiar portrait
The initiative began at London’s Special Forces Club, where a former CIA officer recognized a portrait of Virginia Hall also displayed at CIA headquarters. He discussed Hall’s history with a former British intelligence officer familiar with the Pyrenees and wartime escape networks.
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Research
Could the route be reconstructed?
The two discussed whether Hall’s 1942 escape route could be reconstructed. The former British intelligence officer reviewed historical accounts and local geography and conducted a reconnaissance of a possible route.
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Organizing
Bringing people together
The expedition was organized through a CIA alumni organization and its community.
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October 2026
The inaugural Virginia Hall Pyrenees Trek
The trek followed a historically informed route from Mantet, France, across the Spanish border to Setcases and onward to Camprodon. The precise route Hall followed is not established, and the expedition does not claim to reproduce it exactly.
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What came next
A permanent organization
Following the expedition, the founding group began developing the Virginia Hall Legacy Foundation as a permanent organization.
Historical and Educational Standards
Accuracy first.
The Foundation will present historical evidence accurately, distinguish documented facts from informed hypotheses, respect the privacy and dignity of living individuals, and avoid glamorizing the risks of clandestine work. Its educational programs will welcome a broad audience. Preparing recruits for any particular intelligence service is not its purpose.