[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 133 (Friday, August 10, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     A HERO AMONG US--A TRIBUTE TO FIRST SERGEANT DAVID H. McNERNEY

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 10, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on Veteran's Day, like every year, I 
started the morning early and headed out to the first of many 
ceremonies across our district to honor the men and women who have 
proudly worn the military uniform of the United States. I just love it. 
I love seeing our veterans, especially the older heroes who seem to 
exude a kind of pride in their country and their service that only 
those of that great generation posses. But I found myself looking for a 
certain face, a certain hero of mine that I look forward to seeing at 
these events every year. While I kept reminding myself I wouldn't find 
him this year, I saw everything he represented in the eyes of every 
veteran I met.
  Longtime Crosby resident, David H. McNerney, was a hero among us. 
First Sergeant McNerney received the Medal of Honor for his heroic 
actions in the Vietnam War. While this is enough to impress most 
anyone, it's only part of the story. McNerney served not one tour of 
duty, not even two or three tours of duty--he served four combat tours 
of duty.
  Like some of my other favorite war heroes, McNerney wasn't born in 
Texas, but got here as fast as he could. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts 
in 1931, he moved to Houston with his family in high school. After 
graduating from St. Thomas High School, McNerney enlisted in the Navy. 
After serving two tours in the Korean War, he was discharged in 1952.
  McNerney gave college a try, enrolling at the University of Houston, 
but quickly realized his education would come from the battlefield 
rather than the classroom. In 1953, McNerney enlisted in the United 
States Army. Shortly after arriving at Fort Bliss, he was stationed in 
Korea and Okinawa. In 1962 he was sent to Vietnam as one of the first 
500 military advisors deployed.
  In 1966, during his third combat tour of duty, 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 the afternoon of March 21, 1967, he and his company were 
dropped in Polei Doc to recover a missing reconnaissance team. The next 
morning, they came under heavy attack by the North Vietnamese and were 
easily outnumber three-to-one. McNerney quickly took the front line and 
was wounded by a grenade.
  The company commander was killed and without hesitation, and despite 
being wounded, McNerney took command of the unit. Under intense fire, 
McNerney took out an enemy machine gun position, but the unit took 
heavy casualties. In the midst of the chaos, he climbed a tree in plain 
sight of the North Vietnamese to mark his unit's location before 
calling in an airstrike within 65 feet of their own position.
  He continued to move throughout the battlefield, pulling the wounded 
to safety and securing demolition material to clear the area for the 
medical evacuation helicopters. Despite his own injuries, McNerney 
refused evacuation and stayed with his men until the new company 
commander arrived the next day. His actions not only stopped the enemy 
from advancing and saved the lives of his men, his valor on the 
battlefield earned him the Medal of Honor.
  Now, this is where I usually say: ``And that's just the way it is.'' 
But, the story is not over. David McNerney volunteered for a fourth 
tour in Vietnam before retiring as a first sergeant in December 1969. 
Let me say that again: David McNerney volunteered for a fourth tour in 
Vietnam.
  The men that served with him have praised his leadership and bravery. 
They don't mince words when it comes to what he has meant to them: 
There's a bunch of guys walking around today who wouldn't be here if it 
wasn't for him.
  Dennis Thompson Sr., who served in Vietnam with McNerney, said: ``If, 
in fact, he were not there, everyone would have gotten massacred that 
day. People have to know that the man was a genuine hero.''
  First Sergeant David McNerney died October 12, 2010 at the age of 79. 
His obituary said that he humbly summarized his prestigious military 
career by saying, ``I was a professional soldier.''
  This Veteran's Day was not the same for me. His absence was noticed, 
but his service is never forgotten. My friend, First Sergeant David 
McNerney, was a hero among us.
  And that's just the way it is.

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