Bristol veterans remember fallen comrade
By: Melissa Randall
@MRandallABC6
The body of a Bristol soldier killed over seas is back on American soil. The patriotic town of Bristol has begun lowering flags ahead of the Governors' order in memory of 1st Sgt. Peter A. McKenna Jr.
Sgt. McKenna was a highly decorated Green Beret having served 17 years in the Special Forces Airborne Division. His brothers at the Bristol VFW are mourning the loss of a comrade. Sgt. McKenna was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan Friday during an attack on a NATO facility. He was 35 years old.
“When one goes down we all feel the pain. Naturally not as much as the families— we all feel very, very bad and share our condolences to all of them,” said Louis Francis Jr., VFW Post 237.
Francis met Sgt. McKenna just last month when the soldier came home to Bristol for the town’s patriotic exercise.
“It was very short. Just ‘hi’ because he was so busy. I mean he was very popular. Let's put it that way,” said Francis.
A 1998 graduate of Mount Hope High, Sgt. McKenna joined the army right out of high school. The soldier was serving his 6th tour over seas when the bomb went off.
Sgt. McKenna’s name is etched in stone at the Bristol War Veterans Honor Roll garden. The community’s veterans' council is trying to wrap their heads around the loss.
“It's a shame that happened. He was a fine gentleman,” said Richard Enos, Pres. Of the Bristol Veteran Council.
“When I heard about I said to myself I just saw him a month ago. It was a shock. It really was,” said David Enos, Past Pres. Of the Bristol Veteran Council.
A star will be added to the wall next to Sgt. McKenna’s name in the coming weeks.A wake is tentatively set for the 16th and funeral services the 17th, according to officials with the 7th Special Forces Group.
Sgt. McKenna is the second service member from Bristol to be killed in recent years. Army Specialist Michael Andrade died in Iraq in 2003.
© WLNE-TV 2015
