Travis Manion
Travis Lemma Manion (Nov. 19, 1980 - April 29, 2007) was a United States Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant credited for heroically saving the lives of his entire unit, at the cost of his own. He was posthumously honored with the Silver Star and his name has been given to San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Travis Manion (LPD-33).[1] His name is also borne by Manion Hall at The Basic School in Quantico, VA--an officer training school for Marines.[2][3] The Iraqi Combat Outpost Manion was also named in his honor. This was only the second time in Iraq that an American service member was honored in this way.[4] His sister, Ryan Manion, is the CEO of the Travis Manion Foundation, which raises money for veterans and families of the fallen and incorporates them into a youth mentorship and community leadership program.[5]
Travis Lemma Manion | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nov. 19, 1980 Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, USA |
| Died | April 29, 2007 Al Anbar Province, Iraq |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | Marine Corps |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Awards | Silver Star |
Early Life
Travis Manion was born in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to Thomas (Tom) and Jannette Lemma Manion.[6] His father, a career Marine, was stationed there at the time. He had one sister, Ryan Borek.[7] His family moved to and settled down in Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania when he was ten years old. He would attend Linden Elementary School and Holicong Middle School before enrolling at La Salle College High School, a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school.[8]
He did well in sports and in his classes. His mother told a story on how several colleges were courting him, but he hid the applications and the fees she had set aside, as he was very set on entering the Naval Academy. She only found them in a bureau after they were packing to move again.[8]
In 1999, Travis was the recipient of the Hal Selvey Jr. Memorial Award for unselfish dedication and leadership, presented by the Philadelphia Wrestling Association.[7] In the Spring of 1999, he would be accepted into the Naval Academy.[9]
He struggled in the first semester and called his family a little before Thanksgiving break. He'd been in since the Fourth of July weekend and hearing about his sister's more traditional college experience compared to his stressful one was demotivating. His parents encouraged him to finish out the semester and look at other schools in the meantime. He spent some time at a local college in Philadelphia before returning to the Naval Academy in January of 2001.[9]
While he had participated in Football, Lacrosse, and Wrestling in high school, he continued to wrestle at the Academy. He had a fifth-place finish at the 2003 EIWA Championship and was ranked 19th in the 184-pound weight class. A few months later, he would win the 184 weight class at the Penn State Open. He was nationally ranked until a shoulder injury ended his wrestling activity.[10][4] Though he had surgery, the rehabilitation was unsuccessful.[4] He would also receive the 2002-2003 Weems Award for leadership and dedication, which was presented by the Naval Academy Wrestling Association.[11][4]
His roommate at the Academy was Brendan Looney. They were fairly similar to one another and quickly became close friends. While they would end up deploying to different conflicts, they remained in contact. [11]
Manion would graduate from the Academy in 2004 in the top five.[2][9][3] He would then go on to complete Logistics Officer School.[4]
The War in Iraq
He was assigned to the First Reconnaissance Battalion, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, California.[7][6] Manion would serve 2 tours in Iraq, one in August 2005 and another in December 2006. [9]
First Tour
Manion would deploy to Iraq in August 2005[9][4] where he would help with securing the 2005 Iraqi elections, uncovering weapons caches and assisting with Iraqi transition missions.[4]
Second Tour
Before leaving for his second tour, his brother-in-law, David Borek, reported that Manion wanted to go to Iraq so that a Marine with less training might take his place. He reportedly also said, "If not me, then who?"[4][9] These words have been used as a rallying cry and motto for the Travis Manion Foundation.[9]
On his second tour, he and ten marines were to be part of a military transition team during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Attached to an Iraqi Army Battalion in Fallujah, he served as the company logistics advisor for the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, (3-2-1-MiTT[4]) Regimental Combat Team 6, II Marine Expeditionary Force.[12]
Final Patrol
On April 29, 2007, Manion volunteerd to join a combined Marine/Navy/Iraqi mounted/dismounted patrol in the Andalus district of Fallujah. At approximately 15:25 local time, he and his patrol unit were ambushed while searching the house of a suspected insurgent.[4] The Corpsman was injured and Manion and another Marine worked together to pull them to safety. After helping to provide field aid, he would lead his unit on a counter-attack. He eliminated an enemy position before another Marine was wounded. He moved across the kill zone to help rescue the wounded Marine. The Iraqi Army reinforcements were unable to reach them due to an explosive device and the patrol took fire from 3 sides. In an attempt to draw fire away from the wounded Marines and to gain a more advantageous firing position, First Lieutenant Manion exposed himself and was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper.[1][6] His actions are credited with inspiring the eventual counter attack and ultimately saving the lives of every member of his patrol.[13][4][14]
Post-humous proceedings
He was post-posthumously awarded the Silver Star[13][6], the Bronze Star with Valor[14] and nominated for the Navy Cross.[4] Colonel Ali Jafar, the Iraqi commanding officer of 3-2-1 MiTT, later honored Manion by naming his battalion forward operating base, "Combat Outpost (COP) Manion."[4][15] It was only the second time in Iraq that such an honor was bestowed upon an American service member. A photo of Manion was outside the COP operations center and on the door connecting the American side to the Iraqi side.[4]
His funeral was highly publicized and attended. The state closed the Pennsylvania Turnpike (for the first time ever) to allow for the hundreds of cars and over a thousand mourners. [9] Among the notable attendees was General Charles C. Krulak and (then Lieutenant, now retired General) John R. Allen. Krulak gave a short speech lauding Manion as a hero who would be remembered in both the United States and Iraq. [4]
He was initially buried in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania,[16] but after the death of his friend, Lt. Brendan Looney, (September 21, 2010) Manion's family had his body moved to Arlington National Cemetery (Section 60, Site 9179) for the two to rest alongside one another.[12][11][6]
Legacy
- The USS Travis Manion (LPD-33)[3]
- Manion Hall at The Basic School[3]
- 1st Lieutenant Travis Lemma Manion Memorial Bridge[14]
- Travis Manion Battalion of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC)
- First Lieutenant Travis Manion Marine Corps Logistician of the Year award (Awarded to Marine Corps logistics officers who have excelled.)[17]
- Travis Manion Foundation (created and ran by the family of Travis Manion)
- Travis Manion's father, Thomas Manion, co-authored a book with Tom Sileo about Travis Manion and Travis' best friend, Brendan J. Looney called "Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice"
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mongilio, Heather (2025-01-10). "SECNAV Del Toro Names Ships for Ocean Explorers, Fallen Marine, Hospital City". USNI News. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "1LT TRAVIS J. MANION, USMC | Virtual Memorial Hall". usnamemorialhall.org. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "SECNAV Del Toro Names Future Amphibious Transport Dock the Future USS Travis Manion". Department of the Navy. 2025-1-10. Retrieved 2026-11-3. Check date values in:
|access-date=, |date=(help) - ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 Poudrier, Joel (2013). "Travis L. Manion: Leading by Example". In Thomas, Joseph J. Leadership embodied: the secrets to success of the most effective Navy and Marine Corps leaders (2nd ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 228–234. ISBN 978-1-61251-303-4. Search this book on
Cite error: Invalid parameter "details" in <ref>tag. The supported parameters are: dir, follow, group, name. - ↑ "Who Is Travis Manion? | Travis Manion Foundation". www.travismanion.org. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Stewart, Joshua (2016-05-26). "Marine hit by sniper in Iraq put it all on the line". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Travis Manion Obituary (2007) - Newark, NJ - The Star-Ledger". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 "If Not Me, Then Who? The Travis Manion Story". AroundMainLine.com - The Philadelphia Region's Main Line Magazine. AML Publisher. 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2026-11-05.
- ↑ "Two Navy Wrestlers Ranked in The Wrestling Mall's Preseason Individual Rankings". Naval Academy Athletics. 2003-10-06. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Sutton, Nikki (2011-05-30). "President Obama at Arlington National Cemetery: "Honor the Sacrifice of Those We've Lost"". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Hero 42 - Travis L. Manion". The Grateful Nation Project. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Travis Manion". Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "2012 Act 27". Pennsylvania General Assembly. May 17, 2012. P.L. 537, No. 47 Cl. 87. Retrieved 11-04-2026. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ Burruss, Logan. "Two U.S. war casualties three years apart share a final resting place - CNN.com". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2026-11-05.
- ↑ "Best Friends Side-By-Side At Arlington - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ "A Way to 'Yes': Capt. Donatelli Wins 1st Lt. Travis Manion Marine Corps Logistics Officer". 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Archived from the original on 2026-06-08. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
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