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Posted on 12/19/2004 8:39:56 AM PST by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 Michael E. Thorton and Thomas R. Norris Congressional Medal of Honor  BIOGRAPHY b. March 23, 1949 Michael Edwin Thornton was born in Greenville, South Carolina and raised on the family farm near Spartanburg. Thornton joined the Navy upon graduating from high school in 1967 and completed the rigorous training to join the SEALs, the Navy's elite sea-air-land special operations force. As overall American conventional forces were gradually withdrawn from Vietnam in the early 1970s, the "unconventional warfare" role of Navy SEALs grew. In the spring of 1972, Petty Officer Thornton was assigned to a mission under the command of Lt. Thomas Norris. Thornton and Norris accompanied a three-man South Vietnamese Navy team on an intelligence gathering mission in enemy-held territory. Launched from a Vietnamese Navy junk in a rubber boat, the patrol reached land and found themselves far behind enemy lines than they had planned. Continuing on foot toward their objective, they came under heavy fire from a far larger force and were in danger of being surrounded. While inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, they headed for the shore, in hopes of escaping by sea.  On learning that Lt. Norris had been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position and found him severely wounded and unconscious but alive. Quickly disposing of two enemy soldiers who approached at that moment, Thornton slung Norris over his shoulder and dashed for life over 400 yards of open beach, returning enemy fire as he ran. He carried Norris and another wounded comrade out to sea, beyond the range of enemy fire. The company floated for approximately two hours before being retrieved by the South Vietnamese Navy. Michael Thornton was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on October 15, 1973. He is the first person in more than a century to receive that honor for saving the life of another Medal of Honor recipient. Now retired after a distinguished Navy career that continued through Operation Desert Storm, he resides near Houston, Texas.      |
Quick thinking kid. :-)
Evening stand watie.
It's so hard to read the stories of these men and not swell up with proide that America can produce such fine men.
Evening PE.
I am so far behind on everything and the faster I go the behinder I seem to get.
Evening Victoria.
He could be writing about today.
I remember the movie Bat-21. Liked Gene Hackman in it.
Evening Matt.
The love of being Free makes men rise to extraordinary heights to keep that Freedom.
I hate when that happens.
The bravest again prove to be the most modest and self-deprecating.
It seems to always be that way.
A wise man once said: "If at first you don't succeed try again, if that dosen't work quit. No sense being a dang fool about it"
Keep smilin SAM, snippy will wonder what your up to ;-)
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
BTTT!!!!!!!
Thank you Matthew.
LOL.
They always do. The others are wannabes who never will be.
You??? I won't hear of it! :-)
LOL. I always wonder what he's up to!
free dixie,duckie/sw
Great Navy thread today! I met a MOH winner, John Finn. He won the MOH at Pearl Harbor.
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