Lieutenant General John Norton became associated with Army Aviation in 1955 when he was assigned to the Office of the Chief for Research and Development in the Department of the Army. He served as chief of the Airborne, Aviation, and Electronics Division, and of the Airmobility Division. During that three-year tour, he attended the Army Aviation School, earning a dual rating as a fixed and rotary wing aviator.

He was assigned as the Army Aviation Officer, Headquarters, USCONARC, Fort Monroe, in September 1960. In that capacity, he was twice selected to serve on high-level boards. The first was the Hoelscher Committee which was formed to study and make proposals to the chief of staff regarding the reorganization of the Army.

The second board General Norton served on was the Tactical Mobility Requirements, or air assault doctrine while using simple, rugged aircraft. In September 1962, he returned to USCONARC headquarters and worked until May 1963 as chief of the Aviation Division, DCSUTR.

His assignments in Vietnam included commanding the 1st Air Cavalry Division. He left that position in June 1967 to become commanding general of the Army Aviation Materiel Command, St. Louis, MO. Lieutenant General Norton retired from active duty at Fort Monroe, VA, in July 1975.