It was flags and uniforms, and a reverence for duty, honor and country. It was medal-bedecked veterans, however stooped with years, standing tall to sing the Star Spangled Banner. It was pride and tradition, “Taps” and tears. Kids tumbling on the lawn as the scent of hamburgers drifted through the air.
This day, the Memorial Day Observance at Veteran’s Memorial Park, might be the kind of day that America’s veterans have fought to preserve. Indeed, this was the sort of beautiful, bittersweet moment that rarely comes without a price.
At Sonoma’s 51st annual event on Monday, Capt. Kevin Norman of Sonoma was posthumously honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross, for “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.” The prestigious medal was presented by U.S. Army Colonel David Abramowitz, the young man’s commanding officer in Korea, to Norman’s family.
Norman was described as a star athlete who loved his hometown. Torn between attending West Point and becoming a local fireman like his brother, he chose the Army. He became “a great aviator and a great leader,” Abramowitz said. “He lived his life serving and protecting others. Everyone would tell you, Kevin was the most selfless person they knew.”
The day of ultimate sacrifice came on August 12, 2003. Norman and his co-pilot were on a routine flight near Seoul, Korea, when the C-12 reconnaissance aircraft developed mechanical problems and started to go down. The plane was in flames, heading towards a village, but the pilots managed to turn the aircraft away from a busy restaurant and into an empty field. Both airmen were killed.
The Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Bon Woo Koo, spoke Monday, commending Norman for saving the lives of countless civilians. The act, he said, as emblematic of “the sacrifice and courage of the American soldier.”
An inquiry into the crash lead to a change in flight procedure, Abramowitz said, that has kept C-12 crews safe ever since. “Kevin’s voice has carried forward.”
The flags, at half-mast, fluttered in a gentle breeze. The bagpipers readied for “Amazing Grace” and the Sonoma Hometown Band prepared for “God Bless America.” Four small planes, still miles to the south, were coordinating their aerial flyover.
“We share a code that gives nobility where there is loss,” Abramowitz told the crowd. “We will not forget. We will preserve the memory of service and sacrifice.”
