The parents of a soldier killed in Afghanistan say their son believed in what he was doing.

Family and friends of Army Spc. Joseph Kennedy, 25, of St. Paul shared memories at an April 19 news conference.

Kennedy was killed April 15 when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms. He was on his first combat tour.

A relative read a statement from Kennedy’s parents, WCCO-TV reported. In the statement, Kennedy’s mother, Valerie, said her son told her in his last few phone calls home that he felt they were building positive relationships with the Afghan army and the citizens.

Kennedy graduated from Simley High School in Inver Grove Heights and decided to join the Army in 2009. He was part of the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Knox, Ky.

Proceeds from the SPC Joseph A. Kennedy bracelet will be donated to Legacies Alive.