FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: David H McNerney (MOH) ~ June 30, 2014

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[Kathy in Alaska]

 

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

David H. McNerney

Info from here.

           

David Herbert McNerney (June 2, 1931 – October 10, 2010) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. A native of Massachusetts who moved to Houston, Texas, as a child, McNerney served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before enlisting in the Army. He earned the Medal of Honor as a first sergeant on March 22, 1967, for taking command of his company during an attack by a numerically superior North Vietnamese force. Although wounded, he organized the unit's defense, exposed himself to hostile fire in order to mark and clear a helicopter landing site, and refused to be evacuated until a new commander arrived the next day. McNerney retired from the military in 1969, after serving four tours of duty in Vietnam, and began a career as a customs inspector in Houston.

McNerney was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 2, 1931, into an Irish Catholic family with a history of military service. He was one of five children of Edward and Helen McNerney; his siblings were Ruth, Edward, Richard, and Susan. His father was a decorated World War I veteran, having received the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts. Two of his siblings served in World War II, Ruth as an Army nurse and Edward as a submariner on the USS Dace, and a third, Richard, was an Air Force fighter pilot in Vietnam. McNerney's family moved to Houston, Texas, in the early 1940s and he graduated from St. Thomas High School there in 1949. He soon enlisted in the United States Navy and served two tours in Korea during the Korean War before his 1952 discharge. Briefly attending the University of Houston, McNerney disliked school and decided to join the Army after seeing a recruiting poster on campus. In 1961, McNerney married Parmelia Marie "Charlotte" Moeckel; the couple had no children. Parmelia died in 2003.

After enlisting in the Army in 1953 at Fort Bliss, Texas, McNerney was stationed overseas in Korea and Okinawa. In 1962, he volunteered for special warfare training and was among the first 500 U.S. military advisers sent to Vietnam. He was deployed to that country a second time in 1964.[1] In late 1966, McNerney began his third tour of duty in Vietnam. By March 21, 1967, he was stationed in the Central Highlands near the Cambodian border as a first sergeant with Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. On that afternoon, he and his company were dropped by helicopter into Polei Doc to search for a missing reconnaissance team. After camping for the night, the unit advanced on the morning on March 22 and came under attack by a North Vietnamese force three times their size. McNerney moved to the front to assess the situation and was wounded by a grenade. When the company commander and forward observer were killed, he assumed command of the unit and began organizing the defense. He called in air strikes to within 65 feet (20 m) of his own position and marked the unit's location by climbing a tree, in full view of the hostile soldiers, and tying an identification marker to the upper branches. Braving heavy fire to collect demolition equipment which had been dropped early in the battle, he blew up trees in order to clear a landing site for a helicopter extraction. Despite his wounds, he refused to be evacuated himself and stayed with the company until a new commander arrived the next day. For his actions during the battle, McNerney was awarded the Medal of Honor. McNerney returned to the United States in August 1967 and worked as a training instructor at Fort Dix, New Jersey. During a ceremony at the White House on September 19, 1968, he was formally presented with the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He volunteered for a fourth tour in Vietnam with Co B, 2nd Bn, 8th Inf Reg, 1st Cavalry Division before retiring as a first sergeant in December 1969.

After his military career, McNerney returned to the Houston area and settled in Crosby. He worked at the Port of Houston as an inspector with the United States Customs Service, a job he held from 1970 until his final retirement in 1995. In his later years he attended numerous public speaking engagements and events in his honor and was involved in Crosby's American Legion post and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. On August 24, 2004, McNerney donated his Medal of Honor to his alma mater, St. Thomas High School, at a ceremony inducting him into the school's Hall of Honor. A documentary entitled Honor in the Valley of Tears, which tells the story of McNerney's company in Vietnam and details his Medal of Honor action, premiered at the May 2010 GI Film Festival. The film was co-written by the son of one of McNerney's soldiers. McNerney battled lung cancer which was declared terminal in the spring of 2010. He entered hospice care at Houston's DeBakey VA Medical Center in early October and died there a week later, on the morning of October 10, 2010. He was buried at Houston National Cemetery on October 16.

McNerney's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

1st Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc. Running through the hail of enemy fire to the area of heaviest contact, he was assisting in the development of a defensive perimeter when he encountered several enemy at close range. He killed the enemy but was painfully injured when blown from his feet by a grenade. In spite of this injury, he assaulted and destroyed an enemy machinegun position that had pinned down 5 of his comrades beyond the defensive line. Upon learning his commander and artillery forward observer had been killed, he assumed command of the company. He adjusted artillery fire to within 20 meters of the position in a daring measure to repulse enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position were gone, he moved into a nearby clearing to designate the location to friendly aircraft. In spite of enemy fire he remained exposed until he was certain the position was spotted and then climbed into a tree and tied the identification panel to its highest branches. Then he moved among his men readjusting their position, encouraging the defenders and checking the wounded. As the hostile assaults slackened, he began clearing a helicopter landing site to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees, he crawled outside the relative safety of his perimeter to collect demolition material from abandoned rucksacks. Moving through a fusillade of fire he returned with the explosives that were vital to the clearing of the landing zone. Disregarding the pain of his injury and refusing medical evacuation 1st Sgt. McNerney remained with his unit until the next day when the new commander arrived. First Sgt. McNerney's outstanding heroism and leadership were inspirational to his comrades. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his count

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

Thank you, Ms. Behavin, for the heads up on this one!! *HUG*

[The Mayor]

Rest and working to clean up garage work area.
I am finishing one mixer and working on sales of more.
Need more sales.

[Kathy in Alaska]

They have such inner strength.

Henry “Red” Erwin....we’ve honored him before, but we can again.

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks again, Ladies, for this evening's thread! I finally got around to reading the Citation - some Top Sergeants sit back and lead from the rear: 1st. Sgt. McNerney led by taking charge, led by doing, led from the front!

His valor, his zeal, and his professionalism are most inspiring - he exemplifies what it means to be a soldier and his conduct under perilous circumstances ratifies the efforts of all who carry arms for our beloved Nation.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Come on folks....these little mixers are great!

And they’re cute, too!

[ConorMacNessa]

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!


TATTOO
(Click)

Must retire for the evening -

For Every Morn' Brings Forth A Noble Chance,
And Every Chance Demands A Noble Knight!

The Bugler, his grim visage replete with an evil sneer,
already mounts the parapet.

Soldiers of the Greatest Generation
Stand The Watch Tonight!





Standing With Them:
Fleet Admiral Halsey!



FAdm. William F. "Bull" Halsey, USN
30 October 1882 – 16 August 1959



"Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend vexes!"
(King Lear, Act III, Scene iv)



TAPS
U.S. Marine Band
(Click)

"Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend vexes!"
(King Lear, Act III, Scene iv)



All Gave Some – Some Gave All!!!
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Good night, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!

Godspeed our Troops around the Globe – especially those in harm’s way – by virtue of their service and sacrifice we continue to live in Freedom!

"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[SandRat]

[luvie]

Nighty-night, Conor! (((hugs)))

[luvie]

Thanks, Galz, for another great warrior story. They all make this world a better place and usually just say they were “just doing my job”. God bless ‘em!

[SandRat]

Now?

[SandRat]

Now?

[luvie]

Yup! ;)

WOOOOHOOOO!

[Kathy in Alaska]

LOL!

Gotta be sharp on Monday! Because Friday is a Federal holiday, the banks and credit unions are closed. Therefore, we MUST send our Direct Deposit Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Therefore, we have to do all of Monday’s and Tuesday’s work on Monday. Corrections and printing checks on Tuesday....so it’s another short week.

AND I want to come home for a couple hours on Monday to watch the tree guy remove at least 6 trees. Monday night is going to be VERY long!

[Kathy in Alaska]

"....he exemplifies what it means to be a soldier and his conduct under perilous circumstances ratifies the efforts of all who carry arms for our beloved Nation."

He saw what needed to be done, and DID IT!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

God Bless you good, Mac. *HUGS* Good night and rest well.
Thanks for helping honor our troops, past and present.
Thank you for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Luv....Star shares another great hero.

[SandRat]

[Kathy in Alaska]

w h !!

Thanks, unique.

Sand.....#50!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

You got that right.....you are finding great graphics!

I love it!!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oops....and I misspelled “grabs”. Hopefully you can read typo. LOL!!

[PROCON]

Dang it Ma, I'm 0-3 in card games. My 31 year old nephew trounced us tonight :-)

Hope your Sunday is well.