Michael E. Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael E. Thornton
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Thornton as an ensign
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| Born | March 23, 1949 Greenville, South Carolina |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1967–1992 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | SEAL Team 1 SEAL Team 6 MACV-SOG |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War Gulf War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Silver Star Bronze Star Medal (3) Purple Heart (2) |
Michael Edwin Thornton (born March 23, 1949) is a retired Navy SEAL. He received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest award for bravery in the U.S. military. He earned this award for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War. He saved the life of his commanding officer, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris, during a dangerous mission.
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Michael Thornton was born on March 23, 1949, in Greenville, South Carolina. He finished high school in 1967. Later that year, he joined the United States Navy in Spartanburg.
Thornton first served on destroyer ships as a gunner. In November 1968, he started the tough training to become a Navy SEAL in Coronado, California. This training is called BUD/S. Out of 129 students, only 18 graduated in March 1969.
After training, Thornton joined SEAL Team ONE. He went to South Vietnam for combat missions from December 1969 to June 1970. He served in Southeast Asia many times until December 1972. Thornton gathered important information during these missions. By late 1972, only about a dozen SEALs, including Thornton, were still in Vietnam.
A Heroic Rescue Mission
On October 31, 1972, Thornton was part of a mission to capture enemy soldiers and gather information. The mission took place near the Cửa Việt Base in Quảng Trị Province, just south of the Demilitarized Zone. The team included Thornton, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris, and three skilled Vietnamese soldiers.
They traveled by boat and then paddled a rubber boat close to shore. They swam the rest of the way. Moving inland, they found many enemy camps and soldiers. They realized they had landed too far north, actually in North Vietnam. They moved slowly through enemy areas, collecting information.
The team met two enemy soldiers on the beach. Thornton chased one to stop him from alerting others. When Thornton shot him, about 50 North Vietnamese soldiers started chasing the team. Thornton and his team kept moving, making the enemy unsure how many people they were fighting. Thornton was hurt in the back by a grenade.
He tried to call a U.S. destroyer for help, but the ship was hit by enemy fire and could not help. Another destroyer also could not get into position. For the next four hours, the five men fought against about 150 enemy soldiers.
As dawn approached, Lieutenant Norris ordered the team to move towards the beach. Norris covered their retreat. As he was about to fire a rocket, he was severely wounded in the head.
One of the Vietnamese soldiers thought Norris was dead. Thornton, hearing this, ran about 400 yards back to find Norris. He found Norris badly hurt. As enemy soldiers came closer, Thornton fought them off. He then carried Norris on his shoulders towards the beach. Just then, a shell from a U.S. cruiser hit the beach. The blast threw Thornton and Norris into the air, which also slowed the enemy. Thornton picked up Norris, who was still barely alive.
Thornton carried Norris into the ocean and began to swim with him. Bullets landed all around them in the water. The U.S. cruiser left, thinking everyone was dead. Thornton bandaged Norris's wound as best he could. He swam for about three hours. One of the Vietnamese soldiers was finally picked up by their boat. He told them the Americans were dead.
Thornton then fired Norris's rifle to get the boat's attention. They were finally picked up and taken to the cruiser. Thornton carried Norris to the ship's hospital. The doctor told Thornton that Norris likely would not survive.
Medal of Honor Recognition
For his brave actions, President Richard Nixon gave Thornton the Medal of Honor on October 15, 1973. Amazingly, Thomas Norris, the man Thornton saved, survived his injuries. Norris later received his own Medal of Honor from President Gerald R. Ford on March 6, 1976. Norris earned his medal for a different rescue mission in April 1972.
Thornton became an officer in 1982 and retired from the Navy as a lieutenant in 1992.
Later Career and Achievements
From 1974 to 1977, Thornton worked as an instructor for the BUD/S SEAL training program. In 1978, he spent two years working with the British Special Boat Squadron (SBS). In 1980, Commander Richard Marcinko chose Thornton to be one of the first members of SEAL Team Six. This was the U.S. Navy's first unit focused on fighting terrorism.
Thornton retired from the Navy in 1992. In 2001, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. This award was presented to him by his friend, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris.
See also
Images for kids
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Thornton visiting troops at Ramstein Air Base, 2008
