War Stories with Preston and Sayre11 Elo 2020

PO Michael Thornton (US Navy SEAL, MACV-SOG) 31OCT1972, Vietnam War

31OCT1972: Launching from sea in a rubber boat, Navy SEAL Petty Officer Michael Thornton was leading a small team of one other US and three Vietnamese SEALS on a dangerous reconnaissance mission. Tasked with gathering intelligence near an enemy held base right near the DMZ, Thornton and team came ashore under the cover of darkness and began their mission.

After a few hours, the team realized they were actually behind enemy lines. When an enemy soldier spotted them all hell broke loose. At least fifty NVA fighters swarmed the small team of five and a brutal fight took hold. Over the next four hours, PO Michael Thornton, Lt. Thomas Norris and their Vietnamese partners held upwards of 150 enemy fighters at bay. As daylight approached, the team began moving towards the waters edge to avoid being encircled.

As they began to execute their withdrawal, Lt. Norris was shot in the head and reported dead by the Vietnamese SEALs. Hearing the news, and despite already having been wounded by a grenade in the back, Thornton ran through 500 yards of open terrain, under constant enemy fire, to recover Norris who was just barely alive. Picking up Norris, he ran to the beach just as a shell from a US destroyer providing fire support landed nearby, throwing Thornton 20 feet in the air. Back on the ground, he picked up Norris, attached a life vest and began swimming. Pulling Norris and a wounded Vietnamese SEAL for more than two hours, Thornton and team were pulled from the water.

For saving the lives of every member of his team that day, Petty Officer Michael Thornton would be awarded the Medal of Honor.

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