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In the initial attack, he lost his left arm, yet continued to fight, worrying more about the safety of his men than his own injuries. McClary saw a grenade hurling towards him in time to throw up his right hand to protect his face. His left eye was torn out, both eardrums burst and his right hand was mutilated. Another grenade shredded his legs and knocked him to the ground. Death hovered over his broken body.
His remaining men held on and forced the enemy troops to pull back. With only moments to spare before the enemy's final deadly assault, a chopper arrived and carried Clebe and the other to safety.
Patrick Cleburne, "Clebe," McClary, III was raised on a plantation in south Carolina. He grew up hunting , fishing and excelling in sports. Shortly before he married, Clebe had enlisted in the Marine corps. Only months after the wedding, he had to leave his lovely bride to serve his country in war-torn Vietnam. Just after midnight on March 3, 1968, Lt. Clebe McClary's life changed forever.
Clebe's fight with the pain and disabilities that followed is truly amazing. He spent two and a half years in the hospital, under-going 34 major surgeries and enduring countless grueling hours of physical therapy.
Since that time, Clebe McClary has used his story of courage, faith and determination to touch the lives of people all over the world. Told he would never walk again, he has run marathons and set treadmill tests that members of the Dallas Cowboys have been unable to beat!
Clebe McClary believes that: |
He is truly an American hero! |
