Early life and family

McNerney was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, into an Irish Catholic family with a history of military service. His father was a decorated World War I veteran, and two siblings served in World War II. The family moved to Houston in the early 1940s, and McNerney graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1949.

He served two combat tours in Korea with the Navy before joining the Army. He married Parmelia Marie Moeckel in 1961.

Military service

McNerney enlisted in the Army in 1953 at Fort Bliss, Texas. He volunteered for special warfare training in 1962 and became one of the early American military advisers sent to Vietnam. He was later selected to lead Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and volunteered to return to Vietnam with the company.

Battle of Polei Doc

On March 22, 1967, Company A came under attack near Polei Doc by a North Vietnamese force about three times its size. McNerney moved through machine-gun fire, was wounded by a grenade, and returned to find that the company commander and most officers had been killed or wounded.

McNerney assumed command, organized the defense, directed artillery fire close to his own position, marked the unit's location for helicopters, and cleared a landing zone for the wounded. He refused evacuation until a new commander arrived the next day. Company A suffered 22 men killed and 42 wounded, and McNerney's actions earned the Medal of Honor.

Later years and legacy

McNerney returned to the United States in 1967 and received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House in 1968. He completed a fourth Vietnam tour and retired as a first sergeant in 1969.

He later worked as a United States Customs Service inspector in Houston and settled in Crosby. He remained involved with the local American Legion community, spoke at public events, and was honored in a documentary about the Battle of Polei Doc. McNerney died in Houston in 2010 and was buried at Houston National Cemetery.

Medal of Honor Citation

1st Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Polei Doc. Running through the hail of enemy fire to the area of heaviest contact, he was assisting in the development of a defensive perimeter when he encountered several enemy at close range. He killed the enemy but was painfully injured when blown from his feet by a grenade. In spite of this injury, he assaulted and destroyed an enemy machinegun position that had pinned down five of his comrades beyond the defensive line. Upon learning his commander and artillery forward observer had been killed, he assumed command of the company. He adjusted artillery fire to within 20 meters of the position in a daring measure to repulse enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position were gone, he moved into a nearby clearing to designate the location to friendly aircraft. In spite of enemy fire he remained exposed until he was certain the position was spotted and then climbed into a tree and tied the identification panel to its highest branches. He moved among his men, readjusting their position, encouraging the defenders, and checking the wounded. As the hostile assaults slackened, he began clearing a helicopter landing site to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees, he crawled outside the relative safety of his perimeter to collect demolition material from abandoned rucksacks. Moving through a fusillade of fire, he returned with the explosives that were vital 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. First Sgt. McNerney's outstanding heroism and leadership were inspirational to his comrades. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.