The post-military careers of Medal of Honor Recipients are as varied as the Recipients themselves. Some have gone on to serve in government, others teach, but only one became an FBI agent.
Thomas “Tommy” Norris was born in Florida in 1944, one of three sons of Rolland and Irene Norris. As a high school student, Norris ran track, wrestled on the school’s team, and became an Eagle Scout (one of 12 Medal of Honor Recipients who hold that honor). At the University of Maryland, Norris won several wrestling championships. After graduating in 1967, he joined the Navy with the goal of becoming a pilot.
Vision issues dashed his childhood dreams of becoming a naval aviator, but the issues did not prevent Norris from volunteering for the Navy SEALs. A member of BUD/S class 45, Norris earned his Trident in 1969. By 1972, Norris was in his second tour of duty in Vietnam, serving as a trainer for South Vietnamese navy commandos and participating in special operations.
In the spring of 1972, the US was working to de-escalate the conflict in Vietnam and had drastically reduced the number of American troops on the ground. Taking advantage of the reduced force, North Vietnamese troops rolled through the demilitarized zone and began an invasion of South Vietnam. In response, the US launched B-52 Stratofortress bombers and EB-66 Destroyers, which could jam missiles aimed at the massive bombers.
When an EB-66 was shot down on April 2, only one crewmember survived, Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton. Initial attempts to rescue Hambleton were disastrous—six aircraft were either shot down or damaged, more than a dozen American military personnel were killed, and a pilot, First Lieutenant Mark Clark, was shot down and became stranded behind enemy lines.
On April 10, Norris led a team of five Vietnamese commandos through enemy territory to rescue Clark. At daybreak, the rescue team located Clark and extracted him, successfully getting him to an aid station. But Hambleton was still out there. A rescue attempt on April 11 was unsuccessful, but the next day, Hambleton’s location was identified. Norris took the lead once again. Only one of the Vietnamese commandos who had taken part in the previous rescue efforts joined Norris in his attempt to rescue Hambleton. Disguised as fishermen, Norris and Nguyễn Văn Kiệt floated down a river in a sampan, a traditional East Asian canoe.
Norris and Kiệt evaded detection as they navigated the foggy river all night, passing by numerous enemy encampments along the way. The next morning, Norris put the sampan ashore where he believed Hambleton was hiding out. He had been on the run for ten days, with little food, water, or other supplies. In what Norris called a stroke of luck, the wounded Hambleton was waiting for his rescuers exactly where they landed their boat. After helping Hambleton into the sampan, Norris and Kiệt hid him under life vests and vegetation before starting their return journey.
The daytime return journey was risky, but Hambleton needed medical care. Norris radioed in that they had found Hambleton and needed air cover for the return journey, only to learn none was available. They would have to take their chances or wait. Feeling that time was of the essence, Norris made the decision to return without air support. After paddling a few hundred yards downstream, they caught the attention of a North Vietnamese patrol. Norris and Kiệt paddled as hard as they could to get into a turn in the river, saving them from taking fire from the patrol.
Not far from the forward operating base that was their destination, the rescuers came under enemy fire. Norris maneuvered the sampan onto the shore and called in for air support. This time it was available. After neutralizing the enemy position, Norris called for smoke to create a protective cover. It was successful, and Norris and Kiệt were able to quickly continue their journey. They reached the forward base, where Norris was helping others assess Hambleton’s status as the base came under fire from enemy rockets. Calling in for air support, the enemy fire quickly stopped.
For his actions in saving the lives of Clark and Hambleton, Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor. Six months after his action, Norris was gravely wounded in action on an intelligence mission. He was shot in the head and believed to be dead. Another SEAL, Petty Officer Michael Thornton, believed he was recovering Norris’s remains, only to realize the lieutenant was still alive. For that rescue, Thornton received the Medal of Honor.
After a difficult recovery that included years of hospitalization, Norris retired from the Navy. He wanted to join the FBI but had lost his left eye and sustained significant brain damage in Vietnam. He received a waiver in 1979 and was able to become an FBI agent. With the Bureau, Norris served as a member of the hostage rescue team. He also went undercover. In an interview with the National Medal of Honor Museum, Norris said that missing an eye made it easier, because no one would ever believe a one-eyed man could be an officer.
In November 2025, Norris joins three other Medal of Honor Recipients in the National Medal of Honor Museum’s interactive exhibit Conversations: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives. In Conversations, visitors interview a Medal of Honor Recipient to discover who they are, where they came from, and what they remember about their time in service. To create this interactive experience, Recipients shared stories about their lives before, during, and after their Medal of Honor action. Innovative technology connects your questions to their responses.
Kali Schick is Senior Historian for the
National Medal of Honor Museum
Thomas “Tommy” Norris
(photo courtesy of the US Navy)
