Michael Thornton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Michael Edwin Thornton | |
|---|---|
| Born March 23, 1949 | |
 Michael E. Thornton at the Army-Navy football game on December 2, 2006 wearing his Medal of Honor |
|
| Place of birth | Greenville, South Carolina |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1967-1992 |
| Rank | Petty Officer |
| Unit | Navy SEALs |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Desert Shield |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Silver Star Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart |
Michael Edwin Thornton (born 23 March 1949 in Greenville, South Carolina) is a Medal of Honor recipient for actions as a United States Navy SEAL Petty Officer serving during the Second Indochina War. At the time of his courageous MOH was action Thornton was a member of the "STDA" Team, which had preciously been know as Studies and Observations Group.
He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on 31 October 1972 in saving the life of his senior officer, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris, a Medal of Honor recipient himself. As of 23 August 2007, he was the last non-posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Second Indochina War.
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[edit] Medal of Honor citation
- For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while participating in a daring operation against enemy forces in the Republic of Vietnam on October 31, 1972. Petty Officer Thornton, an assistant United States Navy advisor, along with a United States Navy lieutenant serving as senior advisor, accompanied a three-man Vietnamese patrol on an intelligence gathering and prisoner capture operation against an enemy-occupied naval river base. Launched from a Vietnamese Navy junk in a rubber boat, the patrol reached land and was continuing on foot toward its objective when it suddenly came under heavy fire from a numerically superior force. The patrol called in naval gunfire support and then engaged the enemy in a fierce firefight, accounting for many enemy casualties before moving back to the waterline to prevent encirclement. Upon learning that the senior advisor had been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, Petty Officer Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position, quickly disposed of two enemy soldiers about to overrun the position, and succeeded in removing the seriously wounded and unconscious senior naval advisor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's life jacket and towed him seaward for approximately two hours until picked up by support craft. By his extraordinary courage and perseverance, Petty Officer Thornton was directly responsible for saving the life of his superior officer and enabling the safe extraction of all patrol members, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
[edit] Awards and decorations
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Thornton was also awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat “V” and two stars, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon with Gold Star, and the Vietnamese Service Medal with one Silver Star and two Bronze Stars.
[edit] See also
[edit] Quotes
- "You can only take your memories and your word, and your honor to the grave."[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Michael Thornton Biography. Academy of Achievement (February 5, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
[edit] References
- Thomas Norris & Michael Thornton. Medal of Honor Series. Pritzker Military Library (November 9, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- Engineman Second Class Michael E. Thornton, United States Navy. By Sea, Air, and Land: An illustrated history of the United States Navy and War in Southeast Asia; Appendix A: Medal of Honor Recipients of the United States Navy in Vietnam. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved on 2006-01-17. (Medal of Honor citation)
- Michael E. Thornton. Notable SEALs. NavySeals.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
