A Rumor of War

A Rumor of War

by

Philip Caputo

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The 3rd platoon leader. He joins C Company after Caputo goes to the One-One Battalion. He is “a dark-haired, jive-talking Bronx Irishman” and conceives of the war as “a street gang-fight on a grand scale.” One day, he shoots an old woman for in the chest for no good reason and later admits that it does not bother him that he killed her.
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McKenna Character Timeline in A Rumor of War

The timeline below shows where the character McKenna appears in A Rumor of War. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Eighteen
Heroism and Identity Theme Icon
The Morality of War Theme Icon
War and Disillusionment Theme Icon
...piece. Caputo recognizes how the war has dehumanized him and other marines. He remembers how McKenna shot an old woman in the chest after she had accidentally spat some betel-nut juice... (full context)