Photo By Spc. Mark Bowman | Maj. Gen. David Doyle, the commanding general of 4th Infantry Division and Fort...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. — 1st Sgt. David McNerney was knocked off his feet by a grenade blast. Despite his injuries, sustained after running through a barrage of enemy fire in Polei Doc, Vietnam, he continued to bravely take aggressive action throughout the day, March 22, 1967, risking his life and earning the Medal of Honor.
Family members of the late McNerney gathered solemnly with many Soldiers and community members at the headquarters building of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, June 20, 2024. They had gathered for the naming of the building — now McNerney Hall, after the Medal of Honor recipient and Ivy Soldier.
“1st Sgt. McNerney’s actions are an example of personal bravery, sacrifice, and an example of what it means to be a noncommissioned officer and leader of Soldiers in our Army,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Kupratty, the command sergeant major of the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson.
McNerney’s family members said he served as an inspiration to others because of the life he led.
“He was always an example of leading your life with honesty and dignity and standing up for your country,” said McNerney’s niece Eileen Boyd.
“Truthfully, he was such a patriot,” said McNerney’s niece Ellen Ebert. “He lived those principles, and he instilled them in all of us around him.”
On March 22, 1967, McNerney took command of his company after learning that his commander and his field artillery forward observer had died. Despite his injuries, McNerney remained with his troops until the following day when a new commander arrived, moving among them and checking on the wounded.
While in command, McNerney acted fearlessly in the face of an enemy force three times larger than the size of his own. He adjusted artillery fire to within a short distance of the unit’s position to repel the enemy attack. He repeatedly braved enemy fire and exposed himself to mortal danger, killing the enemy and getting the wounded evacuated.
Rick Sauer was McNerney’s second lieutenant. He said that while many of McNerney’s men had medical issues that prevented their attendance today, he was there to represent them. He spoke about the bond McNerney had with his men and the example he set for them.
“1st. Sgt. McNerney was the epitome of what a U.S. Army Soldier is. He was tough, he was demanding, but he was fair. He loved his men but he would never tell them that.”
McNerney received the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor possible, in 1968. In 1969, he retired from military service. In 2010, the nation lost McNerney to lung cancer.
“The renaming ceremony is such an honor,” said Ebert. “We know that David would be more than moved. He would be so full of gratitude, and the whole family is.”
When the ceremony began, Ivy Soldiers were gathered at the division headquarters building. When the ceremony concluded, they stood outside the newly named McNerney Hall.
“He would say to us, ‘You’re born with your name. Never dishonor it,’” said Ebert. “He really had high integrity, such a tremendous honesty, a sense of service, a sense of commitment to community, commitment to those who were in his company, commitment to family.”
Kupratty expressed his hope that McNerney’s example would help the division carry on its best traditions.
“I hope that every day when we walk through these doors, we can live up to the legacy of 1st Sgt. McNerney,” said Kupratty. “We owe it to him, we owe it to our Soldiers and we owe it to the American people we serve and protect. May we do our job to the same standard that 1st Sgt. David McNerney set for himself and his Soldiers.”
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2024 18:11 |
| Story ID: | 474434 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 4ID HQ named after Ivy Division hero 1SG David McNerney, by SPC Mark Bowman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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