On March 7, 2013, Thomas P. McKenna '53 received the Wiliam E. Colby Award for his 2011 book Kontum: The Battle to Save South Vietnam. The Colby Award recognizes a first work of fiction or nonfiction that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations or international affairs.
"Assigned as a miltary advisor to the 23rd Division, McKenna participated in the battle of Kontum and in his book combines his personal experiences with years of interviews and research from primary sources to describe the events leading up to the invasion and the battle itself."