2024 Texas Veterans Parade Grand Marshals

Lieutenant Michael Thornton

Michael Edwin Thornton was born in Greenville, South Carolina on March 23, 1949. Thornton joined the Navy upon graduating from high school in 1967, where he served aboard destroyers as a gunner's mate apprentice until November 1968, when he attended United States Navy SEAL selection and training at Coronado, California. He was among only 18 students who graduated from BUD/S class 49 in March 1969, which started with 129 members. He received direct assignment to SEAL Team ONE. In the spring of 1972, Petty Officer Thornton was assigned to a mission under the command of Lt. Thomas Norris.

Thornton and Norris accompanied a three-man South Vietnamese Navy team on an intelligence-gathering mission in enemy-held territory in the vicinity of the Cửa Việt Base, just south of the Demilitarized Zone. The group was transported by Vietnamese junk until sunset, then paddled a rubber boat to within a mile of shore, swimming the remaining distance.

Upon reaching shore, the team soon realized they had landed much farther north than planned.  Moving inland, they found large numbers of bunker complexes and heavy concentrations of North Vietnamese troops. They were eventually discovered by the enemy, and a firefight ensued.  For the next four hours, the five men held off an enemy force estimated at 150 strong.

Near dawn, Norris ordered the group to extract towards the beach.  As Norris covered the group's rearward movement, he suffered a gunshot wound to the head.  On learning that Lieutenant Norris had been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant’s last position and found him severely wounded and unconscious but alive. Thornton slung Norris over his shoulder and ran over 400 yards of open beach, returning enemy fire as he carried his fallen commander. Reaching shore, he swam Norris and another wounded comrade approximately two milesout to sea, beyond the range of enemy fire. The men floated for approximately two hours before being retrieved by the South Vietnamese Navy.

For his actions on the battlefield, Michael Thornton was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon on October 15th, 1973.

Captain Joe Hill

Joe is a native Texan – born in Tyler, but raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. Attending C.E. Byrd High School, Louisiana's largest 6A School, he was the Track Team Captain.  With a full athletic scholarship offer, Joe became a SMU Mustang.

After graduation from SMU, Joe entered the U.S. Navy. He had two deployments during the Vietnam War. Over the years, he served aboard several ships and shore commands. To complete his 34 year career, he participated in Operation Desert Storm / Desert Shield. His final afloat duty was aboard the aircraft carrier, USS ENTERPRISE.

In retirement, Joe's passion has been Public Service. Some of his projects included being the Founder or Co-Founder of: United Way of Wise County, TX; Louisiana Military Hall of Fame and Museum; LaGrange High School Navy JROTC, Lake Charles, LA; Sulphur, LA Sunrise Rotary Club; Southwest Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame; Literacy Councils for Southwest Louisiana.
He served as Field Director for U.S. Congressman of Louisiana's 3rd District and Regional Coordinator for FEMA following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustov and Ike.

Joe has lived in Corsicana for six years. He has served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Navarro County. He the first CEO of the Texas Veterans Parade and the Gold Star Family Memorial Monument. Joe co-founded the Dolly Parton “Imagination Library” in Navarro County. He has served with the Coyote Squadron, Commemorative Air Force.

The James Blair Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Navarro County, presented Joe with the national DAR Founders Medal for Patriotism. This past December, he was the Grand Marshal of the Corsicana Annual Lighted Christmas Parade.