Thomas W. Norris, Vietnam Green Beret and Medal of Honor Recipient

Feb 13 , 2026

Thomas W. Norris, Vietnam Green Beret and Medal of Honor Recipient

Blood dripped from my hands, the air thick with smoke and the screams of the wounded. Every second counted. They were pinned down by relentless fire, swirling around us like a living beast. I couldn't leave my brothers behind—not on that hellish hillside, not that day.

The Making of a Warrior

Thomas W. Norris was not born into easy circumstance. Raised in Washington state, in the shadow of Mount Rainier’s cold majesty, he learned early what grit meant. Working-class roots carved deep character. Discipline and faith were his anchors. A devout Christian, Norris walked through life with a steadfast belief in purpose beyond the gunfire.

There’s something sacred about being the man who stands while others crawl. Norris carried that in his soul—a warrior’s code shaped by scripture and sacrifice.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

The Battle That Defined Him

March 9, 1972. Kontum Province, Vietnam. Nixon’s war raging under the relentless jungle canopy. Norris served with MACV-SOG, the clandestine unit that pushed behind enemy lines, hunting the unseen enemy—the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars.

On that day, an extraction mission went sideways. A Green Beret unit was ambushed by a swarm of NVA forces. The call for help reached Norris’s recon team. Air support was miles away. Radios crackled with desperate pleas. Norris didn’t hesitate.

He plunged into the firestorm, a forty-five held steady in one hand, pulling wounded soldiers with the other. The terrain was soaked with mud and blood. Explosions rocked like thunder. He moved through sharp volleys—securing one soldier, then another, dragging them toward cover.

Gunfire tore through the air. Mortar shells whistled close. Twice he braved rigid hapless ground clearings to reach men too far gone for a quick pull. Each rescue risked his own life—and he knew it. But fear had no place in those moments.

Some say hell is a place of fire and brimstone. But for Norris, hell was the deafening screams of fallen comrades, the smoke stinging his eyes, the desperate weight of heroism bearing down on his shoulders.

The Medal of Honor and Beyond

For his valor, Thomas W. Norris received the Medal of Honor—America’s gravest tribute to battlefield courage. His citation tells a raw tale of selfless heroism:

“During the course of this extremely hazardous rescue mission, Norris repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire, without regard for his own safety, evacuating the wounded one by one and smashing the enemy’s morale.”

His Green Beret commander once said, “Tom’s heart defined him. Any man who carries his buddies out under that hell can call himself a brother.”

Norris’s awards also include the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor. Each medal a testament to moments when chaos met composure, when sacrifice transcended fear.

Legacy: The Cost and The Calling

What does a man carry home from hell? Scarred flesh is the least of it. Thomas Norris carries stories—etched deep—of brotherhood and loss. His life after Vietnam never called for fanfare, but for quiet redemption.

He reminds us that heroism often demands invisibility: the unseen hours spent rebuilding, the nights wrestling with ghosts. His faith, forged in combat, whispers a simple truth—courage is a daily choice, not just a bullet’s flight.

To veterans, Norris stands as a reminder: Shield your brothers. Risk everything for honor. And when the war ends, seek peace that lasts longer than the medals.

To those untouched by combat, he calls to remember what is owed to the fallen and the living survivors who carry their burden.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” — Psalm 23:4

Thomas W. Norris’s story is a raw echo from the jungle’s depths—the grit of a man standing tall when chaos screamed for surrender. A man who lived the hardest truth of combat: that some battles are fought not only with guns, but with unbreakable resolve and unyielding love for those who bleed beside you.