Crosby Medal of Honor recipient dies of lung cancer at 79

[douglas9]

David H. McNerney, a Medal of Honor recipient whose Vietnam War heroics later became the subject of a documentary, died Sunday after a battle with lung cancer. The Crosby man was 79.

His actions on a day in March 1967 still have a profound impact on his colleagues.

"There's a bunch of guys walking around today who wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him," Leonard McElroy said of fighting alongside McNerney in Vietnam. He said the soldiers of A Company were in awe of him.

"We treated him like he was our father," said McElroy, of Mission. "He treated us like we were his kids."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7244221.html