In his quest to become an Eagle Scout, one local student is helping give all Bristolians a lasting gift that pays tribute to a local fallen hero.

Andrew Borge, a senior at Mt. Hope High School, was looking for a community service project necessary to reach the highest level of scouting. Principal Deb DiBiase directed him to Parks and Recreation Director Walter Burke, who is rarely short of projects around town. Mr. Burke told Andrew about a proposed park and monument the local VFW members wanted to create next to Thomas Perrotto Park on Hope Street. The park would be dedicated to First Sgt. P. Andrew McKenna, a Green Beret from Bristol who was killed in action on Aug. 7, 2015, in Kabul, Afghanistan, while defending Camp Integrity.

“I’ve known about him for a while and everything he did,” Andrew said. “It’s great that we could give back.”

Andrew, a Warren resident, recruited some of his teammates on the Mt. Hope football and wrestling teams, as well as some of his fellow scouts, to spend last Saturday clearing brush, trash and debris from the wooded area across from Agave restaurant, next to the town’s oldest house. The group of about 20 cut small trees, hauled garbage out of the woods and started creating the clearing that will one day become Andrew McKenna Park.

DaPont Landscaping is now expected to finish the job, clearing the larger trees and stumps and landscaping the new park. A slab of granite has been donated by a local resident, and Warren Monument has volunteered to engrave the inscription denoting the park’s dedication to Sgt. McKenna, Laura Borge, Andrew’s mother, said.

“I’m very proud of him. It’s quite an accomplishment for him to take on,” Ms. Borge said. “It’s something that gives back to the community and it’s sustainable. It’s right on the parade route so it will be seen by a lot of people. We will enjoy it, too.”

First Sgt. P. Andrew McKenna, who was 35 when he died, served in active duty for 17 years, and was a member of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2002, and was assigned to 7th Group as a communications sergeant in May 2003.

A lifelong Bristolian, Sgt. McKenna, the son of Peter A. and Carol A. (Fennell) McKenna of Bristol, entered the Army in 1998, after graduating from Mt. Hope. He also earned a Bachelor’s degree from Norwich University. Just prior to his death, Sgt. McKenna was honored by the Bristol Fourth of July Committee as the farthest traveler for the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration in 2015.