It would have pleased David mightily; not the pomp and ceremony, but the heartfelt tribute paid him yesterday as the people of his hometown, said farewell and Godspeed to a truly loved member of Crosby Texas.
The motor procession route from his church to the Houston National Cemetery was lined with hundreds of Real Americans, all ages, genders, ages and walks of life who knew and respected what David life meant to theirs, his beloved state of Texas, and the Nation. But just as much they loved the Massachusetts native for choosing their small town as his own… his dedication to their beliefs, their youth and Junior ROTC cadets, the veteran community, especially American Legion Post 658, and his devotion to his God and fellow man.
To say that Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient 1stSgt David McNerney was loved is a disservice to the term. I asked an older couple along the route if they knew David, and the gentleman said with tears in his eyes, “He was my neighbor, lived right behind me… I’ve lost a great friend.”
In my weaker moments, I cannot understand why some Americans, though they are the clear minority, refuse to understand or appreciate what being a Real American is… to stand in the just sun and humidity for hours just to pay their respects the a great national hero and thank him for allowing them to live safe and free to go about their lives free of fear and oppression.
But in the end, the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots, the domestic enemies and those who hate our beloved nation matter not; as 1stSgt McNerney and his men of A Company, 1st of the 8th showed the enemy more than 40 decades ago, it only requires a dedicated group of patriots, a band of bothers, those willing to lay down their very lives for their comrades and people back home—even those who disrespect and hate them—to preserve liberty and freedom.
It was a great honor for Don and Lynette, Scott and Jenny and myself to participate in David’s farewell, but it was also a duty; we would have been nowhere else.
And as we made the long drive back across the Lone Star state, one of David’s favorite old songs played in our heads….
I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.
In that small cafe;
The park across the way;
The children's carousel;
The chestnut trees;
The wishin' well.
I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day;
In every thing that's light and gay.
I'll always think of you that way.
I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you.
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