Hollywood actor Channing Tatum recently took to social media to pay his respects to the family of a soldier who was killed while serving in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday.
On Monday, the 35-year-old actor shared a photo of himself and two of his Magic Mike XXL costars, Nick Zano and Adam Rodriguez, standing alongside First Sergeant Peter Andrew McKenna, also 35, who he met while on a USO tour in February.
"I'd like to offer my deepest condolences to the family of First Sergeant Peter Andrew McKenna, a brave soldier we had the honor of meeting in Afghanistan. He tragically lost his life in an attack on one of the bases we visited on @theuso tour back in February," Tatum wrote in the Facebook post. "Let's always remember to thank the men and women who serve this county and so often sacrifice their own lives for ours."
According to People Magazine, Sgt. McKenna, a 17-year Army veteran from Bristol, Rhode Island, was among over 1,500 troops the stars spent time with while visiting seven army bases and the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.
The 7th Special Forces Group, to which McKenna was assigned, reported on Sunday that the Army Green Beret died Friday in Kabul during an attack on the NATO facility, after being struck by enemy small arms fire, according to the Pentagon.
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.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Tatum's post, which he also shared on his Instagram page, had been "liked" over 345,076 times and shared another 13,118 times. Thousands of fans also commented on the post, offering their condolences to McKenna's family and thanking the actor for his support.
"Thank you for honoring my friend and our hometown hero! He had an impact with everyone he met! Our soldiers are risking [their] lives for us everyday," wrote Lee-Ann Branco. "So many need to understand this... Andrew dedicated 17 years serving in the military at 35 years old has done five tours in Afghanistan and one tour in Iraq! He is a hero. Saved many lives until that tragic day when a coward took his life. Pray for his family and friends! I'm honored to have known him my whole life. Thank you to everyone who protects our country."
Added Theresa Morgan, "Thank you Channing Tatum for recognizing our friend and our hero... He was an amazing person who loved his job. His life was cut far too short but his legacy will live on forever! May God be with his family and give them strength during this tragic tough time."
