I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those who have died as a result of war.
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Afghanistan has long been a troubled country. August 7th was a day that was called "
one of the bloodiest in the war’s 14-year history”. A truck bomb killed at least 15 Afghan people and sent 240 more to hospitals. Another suicide attack killed 30 police and civilians outside a police academy. The last attack of that day was on a U.S. special operations base near Kabul airport. It was reported that one U.S. soldier and eight Afghan guards had been killed.
Later, the U.S. Department of Defense identified the soldier as Master Sergeant Peter Andrew McKenna Jr., a native of Rhode Island.
The eight Afghan guards were identified as employees of an Afghan subcontractor working for Academi, an American security firm formerly known as Blackwater, among other names.
Master Sergeant Peter Andrew McKenna
Peter Andrew McKenna, Jr. was called Andrew or "Drew" by his friends and family. As a young boy, he loved to dress in fatigues to play at being in the Army. When he grew older, Andrew joined the Army in 1998, a month after he graduated from Mount Hope High School in Rhode Island.
Andrew began his military service in 1998 as an infantryman, and qualified for Special Forces in 2002. He was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group, now based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, as communications sergeant in 2003. During his 17 years in the Army, he had done four tours of duty in Afghanistan.
McKenna had also served in Iraq and been awarded the Bronze Star with V device for heroism in combat operations, as well as the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
The master sergeant was deployed again to Afghanistan and was serving at the operations rank of First Sergeant for the base. He was the person responsible for base security and safety, including training personnel how to protect and defend themselves, in that particular environment.
Sergeant McKenna had recently obtained his bachelor’s degree in Strategic Studies from Norwich University, while he was still stationed overseas. He was working full-time and studying in his free hours. He was planning for his future. After his deployment ended on the first of October, he was going to start on a Master's Degree program.
Last month, during his R & R, the Army Green Beret was honored at the historic Fourth of July parade in his hometown of Bristol in Rhode Island. Rhode Island's U.S. Senator Jack Reed had joined the state's Representative Raymond Gallison at the Bristol parade, one of the nation's oldest Independence Day celebrations, to present McKenna with a U.S. flag which had flown over the Capitol.
Some of his buddies in the special forces were quoted by the
Army Times:
As accomplished as he was on the battlefield, McKenna couldn't cook, Ross said.
"So if you came over there, you were eating macaroni and cheese and tuna fish," he said. "But he has that infectious smile, and that's what everyone knew him from, the guy with the big smile."
Corbin, who was wounded in Afghanistan in 2011 and is a double amputee, credits McKenna for playing a critical role in his recovery.
"When I was injured, he stayed with me, for weeks, literally, up at Walter Reed," said Corbin, who retired last year. "Every time I opened my eyes from whatever surgery or medication, Drew was right there. He's that guy you can count on."
The 7th Special Forces Group to which he was assigned said that Master Sgt. Peter Andrew McKenna Jr. died Friday, August 7th, in Kabul during an attack on a NATO facility. The Pentagon said he was struck by enemy small arms fire during the attack on Camp Integrity. He was 35 years old.
Army officials said that McKenna was recommended for the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor, for his actions during the vicious and bloody attack that took his life. Master Sergeant McKenna also will posthumously receive a Purple Heart.
McKenna died in the firefight at the base in Kabul, and one of his best friends from 7th Group, Master Sergeant George Vera, was severely wounded. Eight civilian contractors also died.
A
Rhode Island website carried an extensive story about McKenna, and had several quotes from his mother:
Mrs. McKenna has been overwhelmed with the response to her son’s death from friends and family, but nothing has affected her like the calls from fellow Special Forces soldiers.
“It’s been the toughest thing of all, hearing from these guys. They are the toughest guys you could meet. Big, strong men … and they break down sobbing on the phone,” Mrs. McKenna said.
Those men, active and inactive Army Rangers, are flying into Bristol, today, tomorrow and every day from now to the funeral.
“It amazes me how tight-knit these Special Forces units are,” Mrs. McKenna said. “These are his brothers.”
McKenna earned a long list of military awards and decorations during his service, including Bronze Star Medal with V device, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Free Fall Parachutist Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Master Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna is survived by his parents, Peter and Carol McKenna of Bristol. His younger brother Patrick McKenna died 10 years ago, in August of 2005, in a motorcycle crash.
Rhode Island's Governor Gina Raimondo ordered flags flown at half-staff beginning Tuesday through his funeral services. The family is asking for donations to the Wounded Veteran Retreat Program, inspired by a close friend who lost both his legs in combat.
The wake is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at St. Mary of the Bay Church in Warren. The funeral services will be held in that church the next day and he will be laid to rest at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Bristol.
A report of the awful day when Master Sergeant McKenna was killed appeared in
Stars & Stripes, it said, in part:
At the EMERGENCY hospital, which focuses exclusive on war injuries because of the rising number of casualties, the 100 beds were already full of patients when more than 90 new victims surged into the hospital on Friday. About half were treated and released, but more than 40 required more serious care, and about 20 remain at the hospital.
“Usually in attacks we see at least some police officers or soldiers brought in, but on Friday it was just civilians,” said Luca Radaelli, program coordinator at the hospital. “These waves of war injuries have implications for the future, because even without the mass casualties, we don’t have the capacity to keep up.”
The United Nations said the day’s toll was the highest number of civilians killed and injured in one day since the organization has been tracking such casualties. Days after the barrage of attacks, residents in Kabul are still trying heal and find answers.
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died. US service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner. Click the IGTNT tag below to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by i dunno, Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterin, & Joy of Fishes. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.