Bridgeport couple honors airman son’s legacy with milestones

Tom and Dorine Norko of Bridgeport are honoring their U.S. airman son's legacy this week.

News 12 Staff

Jul 28, 2021, 6:55 PM

Updated 1,165 days ago

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Tom and Dorine Norko of Bridgeport are honoring their U.S. airman son's legacy this week.
"My son was at the prime of his life,” says Dorine Norko.
Lawrence Manlapit, also known as Larryboy, would have turned 30 years old last week. He died in a 2018 car crash that caused a seven-vehicle pileup on Interstate 84 in Idaho.
“Lawrence was a legacy, and he was the last of his namesake, so there will be no other after him. And that unfortunately hits deeply for us,” says Norko.
The couple is gearing up to meet with a motorcycle group called Tribute to Fallen Soldiers. The members plan to travel to Bridgeport Monday as they journey across the nation remembering American heroes in uniform.
Lawrence’s father Tom Norko tells News 12, “It just makes you think, and realize, that there is a lot more support out there than we realize.”
The parents say they’re proud to be a Gold Star for Next of Kin family.