On March 14, 1970, Thorburn was on a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) from the Ban Me Thuot East Airfield in South Vietnam aboard a UH-1P "Papa" Huey helicopter as a member of the 20th Special Operations Squadron (The "Green Hornets").
On March 14, 1970, Thorburn was conducting a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) from Ban Me Thuot East Airfield in South Vietnam aboard a UH-1P "Papa" Huey helicopter as part of the 20th Special Operations Squadron (The "Green Hornets").