What Is The Story Behind Travis Manion Foundation? In this article, you’ll learn everything there is to know about the Travis Manion Foundation and the helicopter accident.
Janet Manion, the mother of 1st Lt Travis Manion, formed the Travis Manion Foundation shortly after his death in Iraq on April 29, 2007, with the objective of honoring the departed by challenging the living.
What Is The Story Behind Travis Manion Foundation?
In the Iraqi city of Fallujah, 1stLt Travis Manion was killed in battle. For his actions during the mission, Travis was honored the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with “V.” Travis’ honors were handed to the Manion family by General John Allen, USMC (former Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy during Travis’ time there, as well as former Commander General of the International Security Forces in Afghanistan).
Janet Manion, the mother of 1stLt Travis Manion, formed the Travis Manion Foundation shortly after her son’s death in Iraq on April 29, 2007, with the intention of honoring the fallen by challenging the living. Janet was inspired every day as she founded the Travis Manion Foundation from the ground up by her son’s comments before leaving for his second and final deployment to Iraq, “If Not Me, Then Who…”
Travis Manion Helicopter Crash Story
Travis Manion and Brendan Looney spent four years at the Naval Academy together learning to be sailors and officers and had become best friends by the time they graduated in 2004. Manion, a Bucks County native, and Marine Corps first lieutenant was killed in Iraq in 2007. Lt. Looney, a Navy SEAL and Manion’s Naval Academy roommate for three years, was killed in an Afghan helicopter crash on Sept. 21, along with eight other Americans.
Manion’s family planned to bring his remains to Arlington, but his father thought it would be difficult. They set the wheels in motion when they learned of Looney’s death, and that he had told his wife that if he was murdered, he wanted to be buried alongside Travis at Arlington.
Welcome the newest Spartan @TheRock to our Travis Manion Foundation family. We couldn’t be more proud to add another great example of leadership to our ranks.
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Support the #IfNotMeThenWho mission today. >> https://t.co/wqiTryffH5 pic.twitter.com/8kQlvhGRvs— Travis Manion Foundation (@TMFoundation) November 4, 2021
Who Is Brendan Looney?
Brendan Looney, 29, a Silver Spring native, was killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan with nine other US service personnel. According to the Military Times website, he was a lieutenant in the Navy SEALs and a 2004 Naval Academy graduate. Members of the lacrosse community remembered the former Naval Academy player murdered in Afghanistan this week as a strong competitor who was well-liked by his teammates.
Remembering and celebrating a life well-lived.
Here’s to you, Brendan ❤️ #raiseaglass #bestrong #BLFoundation #BLF #navy40 pic.twitter.com/aKVID7vwKH— Brendan Looney Fnd. (@B_LFoundation) September 21, 2019
Travis Manion Family
Manion was also one of the best students in his class, with a 3.7-grade point average. Needless to say, Travis Manion had his pick of top universities in America when it came to his college education. But Manion, who was born on a Marine installation in North Carolina while his father was stationed at Camp LeJeune, had just one college in mind: the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
Travis, however, called his father before Thanksgiving break after a difficult first semester at Navy. Manion had had enough of the academy; it had not provided him with the experience he had hoped for.