This book tells two stories regarding how Tom Norris and Mike Thornton each earned the Medal of Honor. The narrator of the story is Dick Couch. He tells the story with large segments of the story told from the first person perspective of Norris and Thornton.
Norris and Thornton were both Navy Seals. In April 1972 Norris was selected to lead a team behind enemy lines to rescue 3 downed pilots. Operating at night Norris led his team to rescue the pilots. After the first rescue the forward operating base where the rescuers planned their activities came under mortar and shelling attacks.
As the dangers increased Norris planned to rescue the second pilot alone but a Vietnamese soldier would not allow it and accompanied him. Together they rescued the pilot. Unfortunately the third pilot was killed before a rescue attempt could be made. These two rescues earned Norris the Medal of Honor.
In October of 1972 Norris was selected to lead a mission behind enemy lines to gather intelligence. Three Vietnamese soldiers would accompany him along with another American soldier. He selected Mike Thornton.
The mission started off poorly. The Vietnamese Officer who was to be a part of the mission was injured just before they were to leave and had to be replaced. Then unknowingly they went ashore in the wrong position.
As they were trying to leave they were engaged in a battle with North Vietnamese soldiers. Norris and Thornton were fighting in different locations. The Vietnamese soldier who was with Norris made it to Thornton and reported that Norris was dead.
Thornton believed him but also knew that you never left anyone behind so he went back to get Norris and found out he was still alive. Thornton rescued Norris and earned the Medal of Honor.
The last portion of the book describes the lives of Thornton and Norris after they received the Medal of Honor.
Overall this is a good book that outlines two heroic actions. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
In 1781, London’s Inner Temple was one of England’s four Inns of Court, institutions responsible for admitting and training barristers. Situated near the River Thames, between Fleet Street and the river, the Inner Temple had been associated with the English legal profession for centuries.
Its origins date to the medieval period, when the Knights Templar occupied land in this part of London. Following the dissolution of the order in the early fourteenth century, the area gradually developed into a center of legal education and professional activity.
By the eighteenth century, the Inner Temple was an established community of barristers, legal students, and experienced members of the profession. Its grounds contained chambers where lawyers could work, residential accommodations, a hall for communal dining, and the historic Temple Church.
For an ambitious young man, admission to the Inner Temple represented an opportunity to enter a respected profession. Students studied legal texts, observed court proceedings, and developed ...
“You’ve been at Doctor Manette’s house as much as I have, or more than I have. Why, I have been ashamed of your moroseness there! Your manners have been of that silent and sullen and hangdog kind, that, upon my life and soul, I have been ashamed of you, Sydney!”
