Flag ceremony in Miami for Oklahoma airman killed in Iraq

Friday, February 17th 2006, 9:59 am

By: News On 6

The flag flies high overhead at the Civic Center in Miami, a town where patriotism runs deep. The extended family of US Air Force Technical Sergeant Jason Norton came together Friday morning for a brief memorial service, the third since his death last month.

The first service was for his unit, at a base in southwest Asia. A full military funeral was later held at his base in Alaska.

His family says Norton would laugh at the attention he's gotten, but they're proud he's being honored. Jasonâ€™s sister Teresa Brown: "He was proud to be in the military, he was proud to serve his country and he was proud to call this town his home."

Nortonâ€™s mother was given another folded American flag Friday. She works for the city of Miami, and many of her coworkers attended the service.

His widow was there, too, honoring her husband by wearing his dog tags around her neck. The family says she plans to move to Miami to raise the children around the rest of the family.

Norton was a dog trainer and handler for the US Air Force. He was stationed in Alaska, where in his off hours he enjoyed hunting. He was killed near Baghdad by a roadside bomb.

US Air Force Tech Sergeant Norton was patriotic to the core and his family says they plan to honor his memory by sticking together and holding on to what he believed in.