Michael E. Thornton

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Michael Edwin Thornton (born March 23, 1949) is a retired United States Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient for actions in the Vietnam War. He earned the nation’s highest decoration for saving the life of his senior officer, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris, during a dangerous mission near the Cửa Việt Base in late 1972.

Thornton grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and joined the Navy in 1967. He became a Navy SEAL, graduating from BUD/S Class 49 in March 1969 and joining SEAL Team One. He took part in multiple Vietnam combat tours, focusing on intelligence gathering.

On October 31, 1972, Thornton and Norris, along with three Vietnamese specialists, conducted a reconnaissance and prisoner-capture mission in North Vietnam near the coast of Quảng Trị Province. They fought through heavy enemy fire, were nearly surrounded, and endured severe danger for hours. Norris was badly wounded, and Thornton, after learning Norris had been critically hurt, went to retrieve him. He found Norris severely injured, swam with him through the surf for about three hours, and carried him toward safety while under enemy fire. Their rescue ultimately relied on support from naval gunfire and aircraft and the perseverance of Thornton.

For these actions, Thornton was awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony on October 15, 1973. Norris survived and later received his own Medal of Honor in 1976 for a separate rescue mission in the Vietnam War.

Thornton continued to serve in the Navy, becoming a commissioned officer in 1982 and retiring as a lieutenant in 1992. He was a founding member of SEAL Team Six in 1980 and served as a BUD/S instructor in the 1970s, with a two-year exchange to the British Special Boat Squadron in 1978. After retirement, he joined the advisory board for Veterans Direct and received the Golden Plate Award in 2001. His decorations also include the Silver Star, Bronze Star (three), and Purple Heart (two).