A Medal of Honor recipient recently passed away on October 10, 2010 and this video of his funeral was created by Nigel Brooks as a tribute. 1SG McNerney was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Johnson for his actions at Polei Doc, Republic of Vietnam on March 22, 1967. 1SG McNerney took command of his company during an attack in which all of the officers were killed or wounded by a numerically superior North Vietnamese force. Of the 108 men from Co A, 1st Bn, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry DIvision – 22 were killed and 43 wounded on that day.
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.
David went on to serve a 4th tour in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division and retired in 1969.
In 1970 he began another career of service with the United States Customs Service as an Inspector at the Port of Houston, Texas. David retired from his second career in 1995 and continued his public service in Crosby, Texas with involvement in JROTC and the American Legion.