FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Thomas R Norris ~ 30 March 2020

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Thomas R Norris

Info from here.

           

Thomas Rolland Norris (born January 14, 1944) is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Medal of Honor for his ground rescue with the assistance of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet of two downed pilots in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam on April 10, 1972 – April 13, 1972. At the time of the action, Lieutenant Norris was a SEAL Advisor with the Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance (STDA) Team. The STDA was known as Studies and Observations Group prior to 1971.

Norris was one of three SEALs to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War.

Thomas Norris was born on January 14, 1944 in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned an Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a specialty in criminology from the University of Maryland. While at the University of Maryland, in 1965 and 1966, he was an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) wrestling champion. He hoped to join the Navy and fly jets, but he had problems with his visual acuity and depth perception that disqualified him from becoming a pilot. He then became a Navy SEAL. Norris struggled during BUD/S training, and the instructors seriously discussed washing him out of the course. He graduated from BUD/S Class 45.

In April 1972, Norris was one of few remaining SEALs in Vietnam. When Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton was shot down behind enemy lines, aerial combat search and rescue operations failed, leading to the loss of five additional aircraft and the death of 11 or more airmen, two captured, and three more down and needing rescue.  Norris was tasked with mounting a ground operation to recover Lt. Col. Hambleton, 1st Lt. Mark Clark (the son of World war II General Mark W. Clark), and 1st Lt. Bruce Walker from behind enemy lines. Assisted by Vietnamese Sea Commando forces, he and VNN Chief Petty Officer Nguyen Van Kiet went more than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) behind enemy lines and successfully rescued two of downed American aviators. Walker was discovered and killed by the NVA. Though Norris at first rejected the honor, he was recognized with the Medal of Honor in 1975. His actions were dramatized in the movie Bat*21.

Six months later, in October 1972, Norris sustained a near-fatal head wound in combat while protecting forces evacuating to his rear. He was rescued by fellow Navy SEAL Michael E. Thornton. Thornton was recognized with the Medal of Honor for his actions; he was the first person in more than a century to receive the Medal of Honor for saving the life of another Medal of Honor recipient. Norris and Thornton received the Medal of Honor at the same ceremony from President Gerald R. Ford in a White House ceremony on March 6, 1976.

Tom Norris lost an eye and part of his skull during the combat in which he was rescued by Michael Thornton. As a result of the head injury, he retired from the Navy. He then spent three years recovering from his injuries in the hospital and over a six year period underwent many major surgeries. In 1979, Norris joined the FBI and requested a waiver for his disabilities. FBI director William Webster responded, "If you can pass the same test as anybody else applying for this organization, I will waive your disabilities." In September 1979, Norris passed the test and subsequently served as an FBI agent for 20 years. He was an original member of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team as an assault team leader.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a SEAL Advisor with the Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance Team, Headquarters, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. During the period 10 to 13 April 1972, Lieutenant Norris completed an unprecedented ground rescue of two downed pilots deep within heavily controlled enemy territory in Quang Tri Province. Lieutenant Norris, on the night of 10 April, led a five-man patrol through 2,000 meters of heavily controlled enemy territory, located one of the downed pilots at daybreak, and returned to the Forward Operating Base (FOB). On 11 April, after a devastating mortar and rocket attack on the small FOB, Lieutenant Norris led a three man team on two unsuccessful rescue attempts for the second pilot. On the afternoon of the 12th, a Forward Air Controller located the pilot and notified Lieutenant Norris. Dressed in fishermen disguises and using a sampan, Lieutenant Norris and one Vietnamese traveled throughout that night and found the injured pilot at dawn. Covering the pilot with bamboo and vegetation, they began the return journey, successfully evading a North Vietnamese patrol. Approaching the FOB, they came under heavy machine gun fire. Lieutenant Norris called in an air strike which provided suppression fire and a smoke screen, allowing the rescue party to reach the FOB. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, undaunted courage, and selfless dedication in the face of extreme danger, Lieutenant Norris enhanced the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Honors:

The Naval Special Warfare Group Two in Little Creek, Virginia is located in the Lt. Thomas R. Norris Building.

Norris' Medal of Honor actions have been re-told in numerous books and in the feature film Bat*21, which was the call sign for a EB-66C from the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (42 TEWS), 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Korat, Thailand. The aircraft was shot down while flying pathfinder escort for a cell of three B-52 bombing near the Demilitarized Zone.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

 

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: Thomas R Norris ~

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[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu, and welcome back from your loss of internet. Not a fun time at all!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.
Sure is nice to be back. It was a very long weekend. Service is still squirrely and we hope it doesn’t go out again.

How’s your weekend been? Did you take a break from homework and such and just chill a bit?

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

March 30

Blessed Bread

Bible in a Year:

• Judges 9–10
• Luke 5:17–39

Jesus took some bread and blessed it.

Matthew 26:26 nlt

When our oldest child became a teenager, my wife and I gave her a journal that we’d been writing in since her birth. We’d recorded her likes and dislikes, quirks and memorable one-liners. At some point the entries became more like letters, describing what we see in her and how we see God at work in her. When we gave it to her on her thirteenth birthday, she was mesmerized. She’d been given the gift of knowing a crucial part of the origins of her identity.

In blessing something as common as bread, Jesus was revealing its identity. What it—along with all creation—was made to reflect: God’s glory. I believe Jesus was also pointing to the future of the material world. All creation will one day be filled with the glory of God. So in blessing bread (Matthew 26:26), Jesus was pointing to the origin and the destiny of creation (Romans 8:21–22).

Maybe the “beginning” of your story feels messed up. Maybe you don’t think there’s much of a future. But there’s a bigger story. It’s a story of a God who made you on purpose and for a purpose, who took pleasure in you. It’s a story of God who came to rescue you (Matthew 26:28); a God who put His Spirit in you to renew you and recover your identity. It’s a story of a God who wants to bless you.

By:  Glenn Packiam

Reflect & Pray

How does seeing your true origin story as being made on purpose and for a purpose change the way you see yourself? What’s the bigger story than simply your situation right now?

Dear Jesus, I place my life like bread in Your hands. Only You can return me to my origin. Only You can carry me to my destiny. Jesus, You are the author and the finisher of my faith.

[PROCON]

Incredible Heroism, thanks for honoring tonight’s Hero, Kathy!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...how are you and Penny doing?

I’m still trying to get a home office set that has what I need where I need it. But a beautiful sunny day today, altho nippy outside.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Hope your packing is going well. And you are getting plenty of rest.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Good evening Ma and gang!
Hope everyone is doing well!

I have to work as our care facility is open 24/7.
Mr B also has to work from the auto parts place.

Other than that, we do not go out except for food and medicine
as I did today.
Also gassed up my vehicle at $1.96 per gallon!
The grocery store was well stocked except for TP, which I am still trying to understand..
This is NOT an intestinal Flu-it is respiratory)

Anyhow, good thing for me I had a good supply beforehand!

Sorry I have been so scarce, but will be here more now.
(kind of a long story!)

[mylife]

Allo you!

[mylife]

Allo you!

[mylife]

got yelled at on FR tonight for saying “coon ass”

WHA”S dat?

[MS.BEHAVIN]

I’ll freepmail you what it means.
I don’t wanna upset Ma!

[mylife]

I know what it means.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Well, you just got another lesson in Freepmail!
LOL!

[PROCON]

((((HUGS)))) MS.B, thanks for the update!

[radu]

Howdy, MS.B!

Hang in’ there in TN. Went a bit stir crazy without internet for two days, especially since there isn’t much to do with most things shut down around here. Had to resort to house-cleaning to kill time. Horrors! LOL

Wow! Cheap gas! I don’t know what the prices are here since I haven’t gassed the car since last weekend. I’ve heard prices are down but don’t know how low they are here.

Can’t find TP or other paper goods here either. People are either climbing over mountains of it in their homes or the U-Stor-It type warehouses are making a killing. LOL

Don’t work too hard if you can help it. Sounds like y’all are pretty busy these days.