Rainier High School:  1999-2003

United States Army:  2003-2006

Born in Olympia, Washington, Justin Norton attended Rainier High School where he wrestled for four years and ran cross country.  During his sophomore year he was varsity making it to the regional tournament.  As a junior he ran cross country to get in shape for wrestling.  He placed in several tournaments and was an alternate to state.  In his senior year he was involved in a car wreck, injuring his back.  He wrestled but struggled due to the injury and was awarded the “Coaches Award” for his dedication.   He finished his high school wrestling career with a 39-win, 46-loss record. 

Justin was raised with a long family history and strong roots in military service.  He had always expressed a desire to go into the military since he was very young.  He enlisted in the United States Army during spring break of 2003 and attended basic & advanced training in Ft. Knox, Kentucky, following his 2003 high school graduation with honors.

Norton was assigned to Alpha Troop “Apaches”, 1-10 Cavalry, 4th Infantry Division out of Ft. Hood, Texas, where he was quickly promoted to Seargent because of the high standards of excellence and leadership qualities he possessed.  Sgt. Norton deployed to Iraq in November 2005.  During a leave in February 2006, Justin had a difficult conversation about war with his mother.  He expressed that if he did not return from war, he wanted to be cremated and his remains placed in the Military Honor Wall at the cemetery where he worked and to also have a scholarship established in his name at Rainier High School.  Sgt. Norton died June 24, 2006, from injuries sustained when his unit encountered enemy forces in the vicinity of Baghdad.

Justin’s military awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge, and the Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge.

Since Sgt. Norton’s death, 206 scholarships in his name have been awarded in the Rainier and Yelm communities, totaling over $114,550.  In 2011, in Justin’s memory, Rainier High School renamed their annual wrestling tournament the “Sgt. Justin Norton Memorial Wrestling Tournament.”  A two-mile section of the highway that runs through the town of Rainier was renamed in Justin’s honor as “Sgt. Justin D. Norton Memorial Highway”.  Additionally, there is a display inside the high school dedicated to keeping the memory of Justin alive.

Sgt. Justin Norton is survived by his parents, Christine and Gary Warnock and Jeff Norton of Rainier, Washington.