Although this has published several stories of incredible bravery by an American soldier, this man, who was a US Marine, has to be among the top three for refusing to abandon a man in war. Honorary Navy SEAL Michael Thornton was born in Greenville, South Carolina and raised on the family farm near Spartanburg. After graduating high school in 1967, Thornton joined the Navy and completed intensive training to join the SEALs, the Navy's elite sea-air-land special operations force. As all American conventional forces were gradually withdrawn from Vietnam in the early 1970s, the "unconventional warfare" role of the Navy SEALs grew. In the spring of 1972, Petty Officer Thornton was assigned to a mission under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Norris. Michael Thornton's Medal of Honor citation reads:
Awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, risking his life above and beyond the call of duty while participating in a daring operation against enemy forces.
Thornton, serving as an assistant naval instructor in a U.S. Army division and as a senior advisor with a U.S. Navy lieutenant, served with three Navy SEALs in the Vietnam War on an intelligence-gathering and prisoner-taking mission against an enemy-held Naval River base. was on the mission. Launched in a rubber boat from a Vietnamese naval unit, the patrol reached land and continued on foot towards its objective when it suddenly came under heavy fire from a Vietnamese force from above.
“The patrol supported the naval gunfire and then engaged the enemy in a heavy firefight, inflicting many casualties before returning to the waterway to prevent encirclement.
“Learning that the senior advisor was believed to have been killed by enemy fire, Lt. PO Thornton returned with a trail of fire for the final stand. Two enemy soldiers rushed to overrun the spot and managed to evacuate the seriously wounded and unconscious Senior Naval Instructor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's life jacket and towed him to shore for about two hours until the support vessel was retrieved.
"By his extraordinary courage and perseverance, PO Thornton was directly responsible for saving the life of his superior officer and the safe evacuation of all patrolmen, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
Collier provides more information on contact and rescue:
Thornton's back was injured during the five-hour battle. Norris ordered Thornton and two South Vietnamese SEALs to drop into a sand dune to the north and take cover. Not long after, the butlers who had stayed behind arrived at Thornton's place and told him that Norris had been killed. Thornton returned Norris City over 500 yards in open territory. When he got there, he killed two enemy soldiers near the lieutenant's body. He picked up Norris, who was barely alive, and began to run back toward the beach as the enemy attack raged around him.
The blast from the intended opening round threw both men into the air. Thornton picked up Norris again, ran for a sandbar and dived 300 yards into the water. As he dived into the surf, Thornton applied his life preserver to the unconscious officer's body. When another seal was hit in the hip and unable to swim, Thornton grabbed hold of him and slowly and painfully swam them both out to sea. Despite his injuries, Thornton swam for more than two hours. All three injured persons were rescued after 16 hours.
A page in Giant Killer's book honors these incredible war heroes and makes sure their stories of bravery and sacrifice are never forgotten.
#blurt #rabbo #war #mullis #source #creator #technology
Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE BLURT!
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE BLURT!