The Medal of Honor is the United States of America’s highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty and presented by the President of the United States in the name of Congress. Those named here are Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Joseph R. Kerry for 1969 in Vietnam, Engineman First Class Michael E. Thornton for 1972 in Vietnam, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris for 1972 in Vietnam, Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy for 2005 in Afghanistan, Master-at-Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor for 2006 in Iraq, Chief Edward C. Byers for 2012 in Afghanistan, and Senior Chief Britt K. Slabinski for 2002 in Afghanistan. In late 1972, Lieutenant Tommy Norris and Petty Officer Mike Thornton, advising a three-man LDNN patrol on an intelligence-gathering and prisoner-capture operation, came under heavy and sustained fire from a numerically superior force. After five hours of intense combat, Norris was severely wounded, rendered unconscious, and inaccurately reported dead by the LDNNs. Thornton ran to Norris through a hail of bullets, killed two enemy soldiers in close combat, carried Norris back through enemy fire to the coast, and began swimming him out to sea. Though wounded by bullets and shrapnel, Thornton put his own life jacket on Norris to keep him afloat. Two hours later, the entire patrol was picked up by another Navy SEAL in a Vietnamese junk, and Thornton’s actions saved Norris and enabled all patrol members to return to base. Thornton received the Medal of Honor from President Nixon on October 15, 1973. Norris later received the Medal of Honor from President Ford on March 6, 1976, for rescuing two downed U.S. Air Force officers behind enemy lines in April 1972. These teammates received two of the three Medals of Honor awarded to Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War. Navy SEAL Teams, meaning Sea-Air-Land Teams, were established by President Kennedy in 1962 to address emerging irregular conflicts. Their combat effectiveness in Southeast Asia proved the value of small teams of carefully selected and highly trained men operating in remote areas with little support. Their reputation, born in Vietnam’s jungles and rivers, continued through courageous and skillful actions in Panama, Kuwait, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other places during wartime and peacetime missions. SEALs have participated in every major U.S. military operation, trained and supported foreign counterparts, fought pirates, rescued hostages, and carried out other sensitive and dangerous missions, including the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Their ferocity, discipline, precision, individual skill and valor, operational versatility, specialized equipment, and determination have made them a model for small-unit operations globally. The Navy SEAL ethos emphasizes honor, heritage, responsibility, integrity, perseverance, innovation, discipline, loyalty to teammates and mission, and the resolve never to quit or fail.