John C. McKenna

Colonel McKenna was an active and vital member of the NATO Association (formerly the Atlantic Council of Canada) for many years. His humour and “can-do” attitude were invaluable to the organization. In addition to serving as a Vice-President and Director of the NATO Association, he led many NATO tours to Brussels as a way of engaging Canadian thought-leaders.

Throughout his life, Col. McKenna held senior positions in both the private sector and in the Reserve Forces of Canada. He enlisted in 1957, serving as a reservist in the Canadian Army (Royal Canadian Artillery) until 1999.

He was elected National President of the Royal Canadian Artillery Association in 1977, Vice-Chairman (Ontario) for the Conference of Defence Associations in 1986 and 1987, and served as the Chairman for 1989-1998. In July 1990, he became the Vice-President for Canada and Head of Delegation for the Inter-allied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) and relinquished that position in 1993. He was appointed as Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, 7th Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (M) and held that position from 1989 to 1992 and was the Honorary Colonel from 1991 to 1999. He was a Board Member and trustee for the Toronto Artillery Foundation.

Colonel McKenna wrote on military matters and was published in the Canadian Defence Policy Review, the Royal Canadian Canadian Military Institute and the NATO Association of Canada’s publications.

He was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration with two clasps, the 1967 Canadian Confederation Centennial Medal, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

We Will Remember Them