When I began my militarization,\u00a0 I was blessed to meet and begin a mentoring and friendship that lasted nearly fourteen years.\u00a0 The connection began when I was called upon to photograph the final honors at Arlington National Cemetery – primarily of fallen Special Forces veterans.\u00a0 Colonel Norton, known to most as “Charlie” (there’s only one person who I know of who refers to him as “Charles” !), orchestrated an ongoing protocol of Chapter XI of the Special Forces Association.\u00a0 Each fallen Special Forces veteran, who is interred in Arlington National Cemetery, has a cadre of Special Forces veterans attending and supporting the final honors ceremony.<\/p>\r\n
Initially, my time spent with the colonel was to select photos to be included in the Special Forces Association’s publication called “The Drop”.\u00a0 It was definitely “quality time” learning about the US Army and insights into his service to the United States over the three-plus decades of his life.\u00a0 During this time I was awarded honorary membership to Chapter XI by then chapter president LTC Wallace “Wally” Johnson.\u00a0 I don’t know if Colonel Norton had anything to do with it, but I surmise he did.<\/p>\r\n
As the years passed and my involvement with the US Army expanded to include the 3d Infantry Regiment – “The Old Guard”,\u00a0 US Army Band – “Pershing’s Own”, The Golden Knights<\/a>, and more,\u00a0 the colonel was a resource who was extremely valuable especially when it came to designing a notecard for the 14th Infantry regiment, and even when it came to writing my first book, “Images of America – Fort Myer<\/a>“.<\/p>\r\n