Hometown: Doylestown, PA
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA
Military Honors: Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: April 29, 2007 - KIA in Anbar province, Iraq 
Age: 26
Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011

Travis Manion was the son of a career Marine. He graduated in the top five in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis (Maryland) in 2004, where he also won the 2002-2003 Weems Award for Leadership and Dedication presented by the Naval Academy Wrestling Association.

Manion chose to become a Marine Corps officer and was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton (California). In 2005, he was deployed to Iraq for his first tour of duty.

After returning home, Manion was selected as an experienced Iraq veteran to be part of a military transition team during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Along with ten other Marines, he was deployed in late December of 2006 and attached to an Iraqi Army Battalion in Fallujah. He served as the company advisor for the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, Regimental Combat Team 6, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

According to his father, Tom Manion, Travis said he wanted to return to Iraq to spare a less-experienced Marine from going in his place. The younger Manion reasoned, “If not me, then who?”

On April 29, 2007, Manion and his fellow Marines were ambushed while searching a suspected insurgent house in Iraq’s Anbar province. As he led a counterattack, Manion was fatally wounded by a sniper while aiding his wounded teammates. He deliberately exposed himself to heavy enemy fire to draw fire away from his wounded Marines. His selfless and courageous actions allowed every member of his patrol to survive. For his actions on that day, Manion was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor.

First Lieutenant Travis L. Manion’s Silver Star citation reads:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant Travis Lemma Manion, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Company Advisor, 3d Battalion, 2d Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, Regimental Combat Team 6, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 29 April 2007. As First Lieutenant Manion’s patrol concluded a search of a suspected insurgent house, it came under precision small arms fire attack. With the Corpsman grievously wounded by enemy fire and the attack developing into a full-scale ambush, First Lieutenant Manion and a fellow Marine exposed themselves to the increasing fire to pull the Corpsman out of the kill zone. After recovering the Corpsman and administering first aid, First Lieutenant Manion led his patrol in a counterattack, personally eliminating an enemy position with his M4 carbine and M203 grenade launcher. As he continued to direct the patrol, another Marine was wounded by the enemy's accurate fire. He again moved across the kill zone, under fire by five insurgents, to recover the wounded Marine. Iraqi Army reinforcements, halted by an improvised explosive device, were unable to advance on the flank of the insurgents, and First Lieutenant Manion and his patrol found themselves taking fire from three sides. While fearlessly exposing himself to gain a more advantageous firing position and drawing enemy fire away from the wounded Marines, First Lieutenant Manion was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper. His courageous and deliberate actions inspired the eventual counterattack and ultimately saved the lives of every member of his patrol. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Manion reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Lt. Manion is buried in Arlington National Cemetery (Section 60, Site 9179) next to his best friend, Navy Lt. Brendan J. Looney. Manion’s father co-authored a book, Brothers Forever, to tell the moving story of the two Naval Academy roommates, their dedication to duty, and their ultimate sacrifice.

Travis Manion’s story does not end at Arlington. His family continued Travis’s leadership and service to others by establishing the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF). Adopting Travis’s “If not me, then who…” as their mantra, the Foundation deploys thousands of veteran and survivor mentors across the country to deliver “Character Does Matter” lessons to over 50,000 youth annually. According to the Travis Manion Foundation website, “TMF strives to unite and strengthen communities by training, developing, and highlighting the role models that lead them. We develop programs, training opportunities, and events designed to empower veterans and families of the fallen, and then inspire them to pass on their values to the next generation and the community at large.”

Sources
Card photo and story details: Travis Manion Foundation
Philadelphia Inquirer via Legacy.com: Travis L. Manion
Military Times, Hall of Valor Project: Travis Lemma Manion
Military Times, Honor the Fallen: Marine 1st Lt. Travis L. Manion
Fallen Heroes Project: Travis L Manion
AroundMainLine.com: If Not Me, Then Who? The Travis Manion Story
Find a Grave: Burial Site