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

Recently, soldiers gathered at the 4th Infantry Division headquarters at Fort Carson, Colorado, for a ceremony to rename the building after a Medal of Honor recipient who received the award for bravery during the Vietnam War, including running through enemy fire while wounded to stop a machine gunner from firing on his unit.

1st Sgt. David McNerney, the namesake of the newly christened McNerney Hall, risked his life to lead his fellow soldiers while serving in a 4th Infantry Division unit that was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc, Vietnam.

The renaming ceremony on June 20 recognized a Soldier who demonstrated exemplary courage and provided an example of selfless service to the division’s current “Ivy Soldiers” worthy of emulation.

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

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

Despite his injuries, McNerney remained with his troops until the next day when a new commander arrived, the release said. He directed artillery fire to within short range of the unit’s position to repel the enemy attack and repeatedly braved enemy fire, putting himself in harm’s way to engage 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 a great honor,” McNerney’s niece Ellen Ebert said, according to the press release. “We know David would be beyond touched. He would be so grateful, and the whole family is.”

You can read the full Medal of Honor award to 1st Sgt. David McNerney below:

1st Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc. He ran through the hail of enemy fire into the area of ​​heaviest fighting and helped establish a defensive ring when he encountered several enemy at short range. He killed the enemy but was seriously wounded when a grenade knocked him to the ground. Despite this injury, he attacked and destroyed an enemy machine gun position which pinned five of his comrades beyond the defensive line. When he learned that his commander and artillery outpost observer had been killed, he assumed command of the company. In a daring move to repel enemy attacks, he directed artillery fire to within 20 yards of the position. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position had disappeared, he moved into a nearby clearing to mark the position for friendly aircraft. Despite enemy fire, he remained exposed until he was sure the position had been discovered, then climbed a tree and secured the identification board to the highest branches. He then moved among his men, sorting out their positions, encouraging the defenders, and tending to the wounded. When enemy attacks subsided, he began clearing a helipad to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees, he crawled from the relative safety of his perimeter to retrieve demolition material from abandoned backpacks. He moved through an area of ​​volleyed fire and returned with the explosives vital to clearing the landing pad. Although he ignored the pain of his injury and refused medical evacuation, 1st Sgt. McNerney remained with his unit until the new commander arrived the next day. 1st Sgt. McNerney’s outstanding courage and leadership were an inspiration to his fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and do great credit to himself and his country’s armed forces.