Airman delivers U.S. flag to NYC firefighters Published Sept. 13, 2005 By Capt. Jason Medina Air Force Print News NEW YORK CITY -- Senior Airman Travis Barton may have waited two years to deliver a gift to New York's fire department, but the message that came along with it was timeless.The year was 2003, and Airman Barton was stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Operation Iraqi Freedom was well under way and his fighter squadron was gearing up for a deployment to Southwest Asia.While there, he noticed that pilots would take American flags on their missions over Iraq and return them as deployment mementoes. Airman Barton, who grew up near here, immediately thought of New York Fire Department's Engine Co. 7/Ladder Co. 1 unit, which was one of the first to respond to the World Trade Center attacks.Some of the unit's firefighters grew up in Airman Barton's hometown."I thought it would be a nice idea to fly a flag on Sept. 11," Airman Barton said. "That's the whole reason my squadron was over there."So he made the arrangements to have a flag flown that exact day, printed a certificate and had it framed. But his project was not even close to being finished. Airman Barton was equally determined to present the flag personally to the storied fire company as a gift. So when he was not able to return in time from his deployment in 2004, he made a point of scheduling a homecoming for this year's anniversary."It's not every day that someone goes to this extent to say thanks," said Seth Andrews, the fire department public affairs officer. "The firehouse was really honored."The avionics specialist did not mind waiting two years to complete his mission. When he finally got to the firehouse, saw the heroic pictures on the walls, talked to firefighters who were on duty that fateful day, he said he felt like the clocks turned back just for him."I didn't do it for the attention," Airman Barton said. "I did it to remind them that they won't be forgotten."