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Many of the HERO STORIES, history,
citations and other information detailed in this website are, at least for now,
available in PRINT or DIGITAL format from AMAZON.COM. The below comprise the nearly
4-dozen "Home Of Heroes" books currently available.
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Medal
of Honor Books |
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| This series of books contains the citations for ALL
Medals of Honor awarded to that branch of service, with brief biographical data and photos
of many of the recipients. Some of them also include citations for other awards, analysis
of awards, data tables and analysis and more. These are LARGE volumes, each 8 1/2" x
11" and more than 500 pages each. Click on a book to find it on Amazon.com where you
can find more details on what is contained in each book, as well as to get a free preview.
Each volume is $24.95. |
Heroes
in the War on Terrorism |
NAVY
- MARINES
- AIR FORCE
- ARMY
O.E.F. - ARMY
O.I.F.
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These books contain the citations for nearly all of the awards of the Silve
Star and higher to members of each branch of service in the War on Terrorism. Books
include photos of most recipients, some biographical data, analysis of awards by rank,
unit, date, and more.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA
of AMERICAN MILITARY HEROES |
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WINGS OF VALOR
 
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The Defining Generation
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AUTHOR PAGE
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The Brotherhood of Soldiers At War
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| "Not Without My Lieutenant" |
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The True Story of Navy SEALS
Tom Norris &
Mike Thornton
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After the heroic rescue of BAT-21
Bravo, Lieutenant (j.g.) Thomas Norris returned to Da Nang to assist in planning the
rescue of Lieutenant Bruce Walker, Covey-282 Bravo. On the night of April
17, 1972 Walker was attempting to escape and evade to a pick-up point under the watchful
eyes of overhead Forward Air Controllers. Suddenly the enemy moved in, forcing the
downed airman to race for cover. American aircraft tried to cover his flight for
life, but the NVA moved in on him. It was the last that was ever seen or heard of
the First Lieutenant. With contact lost, on April 20th the search was terminated and
Walker designated MIA (Missing in Action). On the ground, one of the NVA
pursuers had crept within six feet of the haggard pilot who had spent ten days eluding
them. From less than 20 feet away the enemy soldier fired multiple rounds into the
valiant Airman.
Lieutenant Tom Norris was
content to slip into the background of the historic rescue effort of April, 1972 and
finish his tour training and running operations with the South Vietnamese LDNN (Lien
Doc Nguoi Nhia - literally translated "soldiers who fight under the sea").
These Vietnamese "frogmen" were the native counterpart to the American
Naval SEALS, operating frequently with American SEAL advisors and other times
independently. Most were valiant warriors of immense courage who were willing to
give their lives to preserve the fragile freedom of their homeland.
Slowly the American presence
dwindled to three officers and nine enlisted SEALS, held in reserve for potential POW
(Prisoner of War) rescue operations. The Americans occasionally operated in and
around the DMZ on "sneak and peek" missions to surreptitiously observe the enemy
and return with intelligence information. Most such reconnaissance teams consisted
of one American SEAL officer who led the team, one enlisted American SEAL, and four LDNNs.
Among the few American SEALS still serving in Vietnam by the fall of 1972 was
Engineman First Class MICHAEL EDWIN THORNTON.
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If an
imperiled American in need of a "Rambo" kind of hero would have been initially
disappointed by the arrival the short, slender Lieutenant Norris; they would have been
overjoyed by the appearance of Mike Thornton. Big enough to play linebacker for any
NFL team, the 23-year old SEAL was not only large and muscular, he was fearless.
Arriving in Vietnam in January, 1970, by the fall of 1972 he was a seasoned veteran.
He was the "recruiting poster" kind of Navy SEAL. He had the appearance,
the knowledge, and the experience to be among the best in arguably the world's finest
elite covert fighting force. For almost two years he had been involved in numerous
SEAL missions that, had they not been highly classified, would have marked him a
hero. But Mike Thornton wasn't interested in being a hero anyway, he just wanted to
do his job and be among the best. He did....and he WAS! |
October 31, 1972
Six months after Navy SEAL
Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris had penetrated a massive enemy force along the Cua Viet and
Cam Lo Rivers just south of the DMZ to rescue two downed pilots, the enemy was in firm
control of the area. Near the coast sat the Cua Viet River Base, once a center in
American and ARVN defense of the Northern I Corps. Now it, as well as much of I
Corps, was in enemy hands as the North Vietnamese continued to stage their continued
invasion of the South. Information on NVA movement, plans, targets, and strength was
needed. Reports from aircraft that from time to time dared to fly over the heavily
armed enemy territory couldn't provide an accurate picture. To gather the necessary
information, a small commando team would need to slip in among the enemy. The team
would involve an inexperienced LDNN officer, two veteran LDNN frog men, an American SEAL
lieutenant, and Michael Thornton. It would be a dangerous, dramatic, Halloween
night....
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Return
to the DMZ! |
A small raft bobbed
silently on the swells of the ocean just off the coast of South Vietnam. Mike
Thornton set himself to the task of paddling towards shore as his lieutenant, the only
other American on the raft, directed the team towards their landing point. Slowly
darkness engulfed the Vietnamese junk from which they had launched minutes earlier.
Joining Thornton and his lieutenant in the small raft tediously moving towards the beach
were three LDNN's, their South Vietnamese SEAL counterparts. It was just after four
in the morning on October 31, 1972.
Mike Thornton was privy
to information regarding Lieutenant Tom Norris' heroic rescue effort only miles from where
they would be landing, that had occurred just six months earlier. He knew that,
though landing on the shores of South Vietnam, he would see no friendly faces. The
five men were on their own. If they got in trouble there would be no air cover or
support, only suppressive fire from from a Naval ship miles off the coast.
The five men finally
reached shallow water and stepped into the cool waters to tow the raft to the beach, where
it was carefully hidden. Then they began the dangerous trek north towards the Cua
Viet river and the old Naval base now commanded by the enemy. There was little
cover. In the early morning darkness they silently moved from one sand dune to the
next, careful to avoid detection by the numerous enemy encampments they passed. The
hours dragged on but the SEALs were unable to find the river that should have been there.
In fact, there were no identifiable landmarks. It quickly became apparent
that the team was lost.
As streaks of early
morning light crept towards them from the ocean, the SEAL lieutenant used silent hand
signals to order the team back to the beach. By radio they were advised of their
general location. The intent had been to insert the team south of the Cua Viet river
so their northward movement would put them on a direct course with the river and the old
Naval base. Instead, the Vietnamese had ventured too far north, landing them above
the river. Their movement had taken them away from their target and almost directly
into the Demilitarized Zone.
Hearts pounding and time
running out as daylight dawned, the team released a silent sigh of relief when at last
they saw the waves lapping against the beach where their raft was hidden. They were
almost home. What could have been a terrible disaster was turning out all right.
Suddenly the sound of
gunfire shattered the early morning quiet. The SEALS went to ground, returning the
enemy's volley of leaden death with the staccato beat of their own weapons. They had
been spotted and fired upon by two NVA soldiers, but as the sounds of battle echoed across
the shores of South Vietnam, as many as fifty more enemy soldiers rushed their position to
rain death on the isolated team. The team leader put his men into a small defensive
position as the enemy probed to with 25 meters of his small force. One of the LDNNs
was hit in the hip, then shrapnel from an enemy grenade pierced both of Mike Thornton's
legs and opened wounds in his back. The lieutenant called for fire from the USS
Newport News, but the Naval heavy cruiser couldn't render effective cover fire. The
enemy was so close to the embattled SEAL team, the huge guns of the ship lying offshore
would be as deadly to the five commandos as it would be to the enemy.
For forty-five minutes
the battle raged, five lone members of a Naval team struggling to survive against 10-1
odds, all the while knowing additional enemy troops would be arriving at any time.
The team leader took a gamble. He radioed the Newport News with
instructions to give him five minutes, then rain their heavy five inch shells on his
position. He ordered Thornton and two of the LDNN to make a desperate race to the
hidden raft while he and remaining LDNN covered their withdrawal. Fire erupted anew
as the three men raced across the beach for the last sand dune and the hidden raft.
The team leader and the LDNN met the volley with fire of their own, holding the enemy at
bay to cover their team mates. Then, suddenly, the world went black for the SEAL
lieutenant. His LDNN counterpart looked down at the gaping hole in the left side of
the lieutenant's head, turned and ran to join his living team mates.
"Didi...didi, go, go!" he shouted as finally made the last sand dune.
"Where's my
lieutenant?" Asked Thornton.
"DEAD!" shouted the LDNN. It was obvious the LDNN was convinced
nothing more could be done as he urged immediate withdrawal.
"Not without my
lieutenant," Thornton quickly informed them. No SEAL would ever be left
behind by a brother. Thornton broke from cover, rushing across the sand dunes to his
team leader's last known position. There he searched frantically for the lieutenant.
Two enemy soldiers found the lieutenant's body at the same time Thornton did.
Quickly the SEAL shot them both, then rushed to his "brother's" body.
The head wound was serious, the skin laid back to reveal the white of his broken
skull. The team leader wasn't moving. He was unconscious, but still alive.
The powerful Thornton
lifted his lieutenant's limp body over his shoulder and began to run back across the open
sand dunes. Bullets flew around him and Thornton fired his own weapon on the
desperate race to the last sand dune. Unbelievably, neither he nor his wounded
lieutenant was hit. When at last he reached the last dune, his LDNN team members
looked to the towering figure for guidance. The NVA were moving towards them, trying
to encircle the battle-scarred team. Thornton pointed his comrades to the waves
breaking across the beach 250 yards away. As artillery from the Newport News
crashed behind them and hot missiles from the automatic rifles of the pursuing enemy dug
trenches in the sand, the team moved out. Thornton himself, by sheer force of will,
covered the entire distance with his stricken lieutenant over his shoulders.
At last he felt the cool
water of the ocean tugging at the cuffs of his fatigues. He plunged into the water
dragging his lieutenant behind him and swimming desperately for safety. The NVA
followed the fleeing team into the ocean, then continued to fire at the men until they
were beyond the range of their guns. Thornton then inflated his lieutenant's life
vest, towing him further into the ocean and away from danger. For two hours they
bobbed on the swells of the ocean, Thornton doing his best to keep his wounded team
leader's head above water. At last they were spotted and picked up by the same junk
that had inserted them earlier that morning. It was almost noon. The entire
saga had transpired in less than eight hours.
For his refusal to leave
the wounded lieutenant behind and his courage in returning under fire to recover the
fellow SEAL, Mike Thornton was recommended for the Medal of Honor. His action was
the LAST Medal of Honor action of the Vietnam War, and the last by any living American.
Less than a year later,
on October 15, 1973 Navy Lieutenant Michael Edwin Thornton was summoned to the White House
to receive his award. At nearby Bethesda Naval Hospital the gravely wounded SEAL
team leader was still recovering from his horrible wounds. His condition was so
serious, his request to be released for Thornton's presentation was denied. "We
had to kidnap him, right out of Bethesda," Thornton recently said. "But he
was there!"
The citation detailing
Thornton's heroic action was read, then President Richard M. Nixon stepped forward to
drape the Medal of Honor around the Navy SEALs neck for refusing to leave a brother
behind. Standing to the side, the wounded team leader watched with pride and
thanksgiving.
