Vietnam War hero who braved enemy fire for his men honored by former unit

Soldiers recently gathered at the 4th Infantry Division headquarters at Fort Carson, Colo., for a ceremony to rename the building in honor of a Medal of Honor recipient who earned the decoration for his heroism during the Vietnam War, notably for walking through enemy fire, while wounded, to stop a machine gunner who was firing on his unit.

1st sergeant. David McNerney, the namesake of the new McNerney Hall, risked his life to lead his comrades while serving in a 4th Identification Unit that was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc, Vietnam.

The June 20 renaming ceremony honored a soldier who demonstrated courage and provided the division's current “Ivy Soldiers” with an example of selfless service to aspire to.

“I hope that every day when we walk through these doors, we can live up to the legacy of 1st Sgt. McNerney,” said 4th Infantry Division Command Sgt. Major Alex Kupratty, according to a press release.

On March 22, 1967, McNerney assumed command as first sergeant of Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division after the death of its commander and field artillery forward observer during an attack on their unit by enemy forces.

McNerney remained with his troops until the next day, when a new commander arrived, despite his injuries, the press release noted. He adjusted artillery fire a short distance from the unit's position to repel the enemy attack and repeatedly braved enemy fire, exposing himself to danger to fight the enemy and evacuate the wounded .

McNerney received the Medal of Honor in 1968 and retired from military service the following year. He died of lung cancer in 2010.

“The renaming ceremony is such an honor,” McNerney’s niece, Ellen Ebert, said, according to the release. “We know that David would be more than moved. He would be so full of gratitude, and the whole family is.

1st sergeant. David McNerney's Medal of Honor citation can be read in full below:

1st sergeant. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc. Pushing through the hail of enemy fire to the area of ​​heaviest contact, he was helping to develop a defensive perimeter when he encountered several enemies at close range. He killed the enemy but was seriously injured when he was thrown by a grenade. Despite this injury, he attacked and destroyed an enemy machine gun position which had pinned five of his comrades beyond the defensive line. After learning that his commander and artillery forward observer had been killed, he took command of the company. He adjusted artillery fire to within 20 yards of the position in a bold move to repel enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position disappeared, he moved to a nearby clearing to point out the location to friendly aircraft. Despite enemy fire, he remained exposed until he was certain the position was scouted, then he climbed a tree and attached the identification sign to its uppermost branches. Then he moved among his men, readjusting their position, encouraging the defenders and examining the wounded. As the hostile assaults slowed, he began clearing a helicopter landing zone to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to fell large trees, he would crawl out of the relative safety of his perimeter to retrieve demolition materials from discarded backpacks. Passing through a firefight, he returned with the explosives essential to clearing 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. 1st sergeant. McNerney's exceptional heroism and leadership inspired his comrades. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and are a credit to himself and his country's armed forces.