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Not long after enlistment he was admitted to the West Point Preparatory School at Fort Sam Houston, acquired a high standing, and competed successfully in the examinations for the Military Academy. Tom Norwood received an appointment from Congressman Martin Dies, and he entered the Military Academy in July 1938.
Capt Norwood was awarded the Bronze Star Medal posthumously. The citation reads:
"Capt Thomas A. Norwood distinguished himself by heroic achievement in action. On 17 September 1944 his engineer platoon accompanied an infantry regiment in its approach to a vital bridge in the vicinity of Veghel, Holland. Capt. Norwood and his engineers were among the first to reach the bridge. Although the bridge was intact, the span which connected it to the highway was too narrow to permit a steady flow of two-way traffic. After surveying the situation, he decided to erect a secondary bridge which would be strong enough to support heavy tanks, and at the same time permit two-way traffic. With the help of the Dutch Underground, he gathered together several civilian engineers of the town who were able to supply him with the necessary timbers and supports to construct the bridge. He worked steadily for twenty-three hours, harassed by sniper fire from the enemy who had infiltrated towards the position. Through his skillful leadership and initiative he completed the new bridge in time to accommodate the first British relief troops en-route to Arnhem. The bridge, since its construction, has increased the flow of traffic, and has upheld the heaviest armored traffic. Capt. Norwood later died of wounds received in action. His actions were in accordance with the highest standards of the military service.”

Tom Norwood's mother once said of her son: "To me his whole life was unusual. He never did the mischievous things that most little boys did. Tom was always much older than his years, and it seems that all his life, certainly from a very early age, his judgment could be trusted to be right. He was an idealist, always striving to reach a goal that would have seemed too remote to any other person, but he always reached it. It seems as though he knew his life would be short and that he had an average life's work to be finished. He always led his classes and his teachers marveled at his scholastic progress, but Tom was never boastful - just satisfied that he had done what he set out to do."