Michael McKenna

Fairmount Park Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch May 17, 1937

Age 39

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 73 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Park Guard Michael McKenna succumbed to injuries sustained eight days earlier when he was crushed between a car and a large rock while riding on the running board of a vehicle. Guard McKenna and his partner were on patrol when they were alerted that three boys had capsized in their canoe above the dam on Wissahickon Creek. One of the boys struck his head on a retaining wall and was knocked unconscious. The two officers were able to pull the boy from the water and Guard McKenna's partner began to work on the boy as Guard McKenna went to Wissahickon Drive to commandeer a car. As the car drove back to the creek down a narrow path Guard McKenna was struck by a rock that was protruding into the path and suffered fatal injuries. Guard McKenna had served with the Fairmount Park Police Department for eight years. He also served with the U.S. Army in Europe during WWI as a private with Company H, 61st Infantry Regiment, 5th "Red Diamond" Division.

Survivors

Guard McKenna was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-19BA0DFF
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Michael is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Park Guard McKenna gave the Fairmount Park Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Fairmount Park Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

Platform Identity fppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 17, 1937

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Michael McKenna served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Park Guard Michael McKenna is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 33.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Fairmount Park Police Department, 5 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Fairmount Park Police Department

of 7 officers

71.4% Accident

PA — Statewide

417

of 1,261 officers

33.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident