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.