Tom Sileo

by Brothers Forever

  Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice, and we must. We must honor it in our own lives by holding their memories close to our hearts, and heeding the example they set. And we must honor it as a nation by keeping our sacred trust with all who wear America’s uniform, and the families who love them; by never giving up the search for those who’ve gone missing under our country’s flag or are held as prisoners of war; by serving our patriots as well as they serve us—from the moment they enter the military to the moment they leave it, to the moment they are laid to rest.

  That is how we can honor the sacrifice of those we’ve lost. That is our obligation to America’s guardians—guardians like Travis Manion. The son of a Marine, Travis aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and was accepted by the U.S. Naval Academy. His roommate at the Academy was Brendan Looney, a star athlete and born leader from a military family, just like Travis. The two quickly became best friends—like brothers, Brendan said.

  After graduation, they deployed—Travis to Iraq, and Brendan to Korea. On April 29, 2007, while fighting to rescue his fellow Marines from danger, Travis was killed by a sniper. Brendan did what he had to do—he kept going. He poured himself into his SEAL training, and dedicated it to the friend that he missed. He married the woman he loved. And, his tour in Korea behind him, he deployed to Afghanistan. On September 21st of last year, Brendan gave his own life, along with eight others, in a helicopter crash.

  Heartbroken, yet filled with pride, the Manions and Looneys knew only [one] way to honor their sons’ friendship—they moved Travis from his cemetery in Pennsylvania and buried them side by side here at Arlington. “Warriors for freedom,” reads the epitaph written by Travis’ father, “brothers forever.”

  In a cemetery where two American presidents—John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft—are buried, the nation’s forty-fourth commander-in-chief saluted two young patriots who could have become fathers, grandfathers, businessmen, doctors, teachers, professional athletes, police officers, firefighters, civic leaders, politicians, or even presidents. Like thousands of fallen heroes resting all around them, Travis and Brendan had the ambition, talent, and dedication to accomplish whatever they wanted in life. They chose to serve.

  “The friendship between 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion and Lieutenant Brendan Looney reflects the meaning of Memorial Day: brotherhood, sacrifice, love of country,” the president said. “And it is my fervent prayer that we may honor the memory of the fallen by living out those ideals every day of our lives, in the military and beyond.”

  Six months later Brendan’s widow, exhausted and trying to overcome throbbing pain in her knee, passed the Iwo Jima Memorial while crossing the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon. As her husband had run to honor Travis four years earlier, Amy had run 26.2 miles to honor Brendan, whom she would always hold in her heart.

  Driven by love and grief, Amy met her goal, as did Brendan’s equally courageous mother, Maureen, and sister, Bridget. When the Looneys crossed the finish line, Ryan and her two young daughters, five-year-old Maggie and two-year-old Honor, were cheering them on. Janet, who wasn’t feeling well that morning, was being cared for by Tom back at the hotel.

  After Amy iced her knee, she went to Arlington National Cemetery to see Brendan and Travis’s headstones for the first time. Thirteen months after losing her husband, the Gold Star wife’s emotions were still raw and fragile. Yet on this fall day, which had warmed up after a freak snowstorm the day before, Amy visited Arlington with Travis’s two young nieces. She was determined to hold herself together, although some tears were inevitable.

  Staring at her husband’s name, Amy kissed his tombstone before draping her Marine Corps Marathon medal around it. For the first time, she truly understood Brendan’s emotions after Travis died, and in that moment, she missed her husband more than ever.

  “I will always love you, Brendan,” Amy said as Ryan kept the kids occupied nearby. “The reason I keep going is because I want to make you proud. I hope I am.”

  Suddenly, Maggie walked up to Amy and took her by the hand.

  “Amy, why did you put your medal there?” Maggie asked.

  Composing herself and wiping away tears, Amy smiled at the niece Travis had held when she was just a baby.

  “I’m giving that to Brendan because I never could have finished that long race without him,” she said. “And you know what, Mags? After your Uncle Travis passed away, Brendan ran that same race and went on to do some very important things. And no matter where he was, he could always hear Travis cheering him on.”

  “Are they in heaven?” Maggie asked.

  “Yes,” Amy said. “And no matter what you do, your Uncle Travis will always be cheering you on, too.”

  How had all this happened? Just a few short years before, Amy was making memories with Brendan and Travis in Annapolis. They were going to be friends for life, having each other’s families over for Super Bowls and summer barbeques. They were just here.

  “Don’t be sad, Amy,” Maggie said, breaking the silence. “Every night, I say my prayers and last night, I said one for you.”

  “Oh Maggie,” Amy said, kneeling down and putting her arm around Ryan’s little girl. “Thank you, sweetheart!”

  After Amy and Maggie shared a hug, they said good-bye to Travis.

  “Good-bye, Trav,” Amy said.

  “I love you, Uncle Travis,” Maggie said.

  With her arm still around Travis’s niece, Amy then turned toward Brendan’s place of rest.

  “Bye, Brendan!” Maggie said, then skipped toward her mom and sister.

  Amy, wiping away one last tear, looked down at her husband’s headstone.

  “See you later,” she said.

  As Amy caught up with Ryan, Maggie, and Honor and they walked through the cemetery, she looked at the gleaming white headstones of thousands of brave men and women who had fought in every American conflict since the Revolutionary War. There was a sense of awe here—and a true sense of community—that made her feel like Brendan and Travis belonged. During many subsequent visits to Arlington, Amy not only shared the story of her fallen heroes, but paused to listen to the stories of others.

  Surrounded by their fallen brothers and sisters in arms until the end of time, Travis and Brendan are roommates who rest in peace after dying for their country in war. Called to action after the attacks of 9/11, they preserved liberty, defended the defenseless, and gave children like Maggie and Honor a chance at growing up in a safer, more just world.

  At the bottom of Lieutenant Brendan Looney’s headstone is an inscription: “US Navy SEAL, Loving Husband, Son & Brother.” At the bottom of First Lieutenant Travis Manion’s are the fallen Marine’s words: “If Not Me, Then Who. . . .”

  There is no inscription to define the meaning of their sacrifice. That mission is ours.

  Epilogue

  Maggie and Honor’s Pledge

  For the second anniversary of Brendan’s death in Afghanistan, Amy—a widow at age thirty-one—challenged fellow citizens to perform ten random acts of kindness in honor of America’s fallen heroes. Her stirring words appeared in an op-ed piece published by the San Diego Union-Tribune:

  In the two years since the Sept. 21, 2010, helicopter crash that killed Brendan and eight of his Navy and Army brothers, I have tried to live my life in a way that honors my husband and his fellow troops.

  I also want Americans to know that while Brendan was most certainly a warrior, he was also a kindhearted 29-year-old man who cared a great deal about America and the countries he visited.

  Brendan, like so many American heroes I’ve had the honor of knowing, was full of compassion. He didn’t only risk his life during combat missions; he also put himself in peril to shield civilians. Seeing the plight of children in Afghanistan and Iraq impacted my husband profoundly, and Brendan did all he could to help them.

  Lt. Brendan Looney was proof that one could be a warrior for fre
edom and ambassador of kindness at the same time. By following the selfless examples set by courageous men and women who volunteer to serve, many of the world’s problems might not seem as impossible to solve.

  The response to Amy’s call to action was swift and overwhelming. The moving newspaper item mirrored Amy’s response to her husband’s death, which included helping and inspiring loved ones of fallen Navy SEALs. Amy even traveled to Europe with a group of military survivors to swim the English Channel in honor of America’s departed heroes.

  Amy also became head of the Travis Manion Foundation’s San Diego office. While leading the nonprofit organization’s Survivor Services effort, she has helped many Gold Star spouses, fiancées, parents, siblings, and children cope in the wake of incomprehensible loss.

  Every day, Amy has changed lives while living out the bold words Brendan wrote on their last Valentine’s Day card: I DON’T QUIT. Simply put, she has made her husband proud.

  Brendan would also be proud of America’s Navy SEALs, who not only electrified the world by bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, but spend every waking hour protecting their country.

  Lieutenant Rob Sarver grew to embody Brendan’s motto: “Be strong. Be accountable. Never complain.” After his honorable discharge from the Navy in 2013, Sarver was hired by Goldman Sachs upon completing the company’s innovative Veterans Integration Program. Sarver also asked his girlfriend, Heather Hojnacki, to marry him.

  After happily accepting the proposal, Heather thought of the adoring, unbreakable love shared by Brendan and Amy. By devoting themselves to one another, Rob and Heather Sarver will honor two of their closest friends.

  Although Travis’s entire MiTT team was deeply affected by the harrowing events inside the Pizza Slice, none faced uphill battles quite like Navy Hospital Corpsman Edwin “Doc” Albino and Marine Lance Corporal Chuck Segel, who were seriously wounded during the April 29, 2007, firefight. They both survived, and like so many of our nation’s wounded veterans, they motivate those around them with their determination, dedication, and strength.

  Nick, the Iraqi interpreter who told Travis that he hoped to one day leave his war-torn country and move to the United States, saw his dream become a reality. The week before he died, Travis had written a letter of support on Nick’s behalf.

  Like thousands of fellow Gold Star families, the Manions and Looneys are shining examples of our country’s strength during wartime and beyond. Kevin and Maureen Looney, along with their five surviving children, responded to Brendan’s death with selflessness and courage. They spearheaded the Brendan Looney ’99 Memorial Scholarship Fund at DeMatha Catholic High School, which helps students who want to follow in Brendan’s footsteps by always making the most of what they are doing.

  Steve, Billy, Bridget, Erin, and Kellie Looney have all run the Marine Corps Marathon. Like their older brother, the Looney siblings push themselves and those around them to keep moving forward. Their example is one for every young American to follow.

  Travis’s sister, Ryan, became president of the Travis Manion Foundation, which carries the lasting imprint of her mom, Janet. The foundation and its rousing call to honor the fallen by challenging the living not only provides families of the fallen and veterans with direct assistance, but gives them a chance to take the next step forward in their lives.

  Janet, Ryan, and the organization’s dedicated staff and volunteers quickly turned “If not me, then who . . .” into a rallying cry for the military community. To date, the Travis Manion Foundation has provided support to almost twenty thousand veterans and families of the fallen.

  It was out of Janet’s passion for engaging younger Americans that the Character Does Matter program, which empowers veterans and families of the fallen to deliver inspirational presentations to emerging leaders, was born. Character Does Matter engages the next generation to serve and directly impact their local communities while carrying on the legacies of our nation’s fallen heroes. To date, thousands of schools and organizations across the United States have signed up for these unique presentations, many of which Ryan has led.

  The 9/11 Heroes Run, which started as one group run in Doylestown and spread to more than fifty locations across the country and around the world, quickly became the Travis Manion Foundation’s most recognizable footprint. As the national race series to honor victims of the 9/11 attacks, fallen service members, and heroic first responders achieved unprecedented participation, Janet continued pushing those around her to make an even bigger difference.

  Janet Manion died of cancer on April 24, 2012, just five days before the fifth anniversary of Travis’s death in Iraq. Her funeral events were held in the same locations as her son’s and carried with them sadness and disbelief, but also extraordinary pride.

  At Janet’s memorial service, Ryan closed her mom’s eulogy with an assurance:

  Mom, now it’s time for dad, me, and the rest of us to carry on your fight. Enjoy your time with your beloved son and your wonderful parents, and we’ll join you a little later.

  Until that day comes, I will wake up every morning repeating my brother’s words, which so deeply inspired my mom.

  “If not me, then who. . . .”

  That evening on the lower level of the Manion home, Ryan hugged her husband, Dave, her two daughters, Maggie and Honor, her dad, Tom, and her dear friend Amy, before heading upstairs for the night. As she made the short walk through the main level on her way upstairs, Ryan passed Travis’s medals and Brendan’s gold Navy SEAL trident, which sat on top of the living room piano.

  A few moments later, young Maggie stood up in the middle of the room and asked for everyone’s attention.

  “My Nan and my Uncle Travis and his friend Brendan loved our country a lot,” the little girl said. “So could everyone please put your hands on your hearts and say the Pledge of Allegiance with us?”

  Almost everyone’s eyes welled up in unison as Maggie and Honor, along with several little cousins, spoke:

  I pledge allegiance

  To the flag

  Of the United States of America

  And to the Republic

  For which it stands

  One nation

  Under God

  Indivisible

  With liberty and justice for all.

  Janet would soon be buried next to Travis and Brendan at Arlington National Cemetery. On the determined military mom’s wrist when she was laid to rest—and for all time—was a silver bracelet engraved with black lettering:

  1ST LT. TRAVIS L. MANION, USMC 04.29.07 IRAQ

  LT (SEAL) BRENDAN J. LOONEY, USN 09.21.10 AFG

  WARRIORS FOR FREEDOM, BROTHERS FOREVER

  Acknowledgments

  COLONEL TOM MANION, USMC (RET.)

  My wife and I lost our only son, US Marine First Lieutenant Travis Manion, on April 29, 2007, in Fallujah, Iraq.

  Soon after Travis’s death, I set out to share his sacrifice through a book that would help more Americans understand the profound commitment that these young men and women have made to our country. After many who served with Travis mentioned his close bond with the Iraqis who he helped train, I traveled to Fallujah in the spring of 2010 to speak personally with several of the Iraqi Army soldiers whom he fought alongside.

  I was overwhelmed by the pride that these people had in their country and inspired by their continuing quest for freedom. I saw firsthand what Travis must have experienced working so closely with the Iraqis, and I left the country with a better understanding of the struggles and the determination of these proud people.

  As I flew back from Iraq, the caskets of five fallen American heroes were being carried home to their families on the same plane. The solemn moment reinforced how much this young generation of Americans had sacrificed so future generations of Iraqis could grow up in a land not gripped by fear, terrorism, and war.

  My son’s US Naval Academy roommate, US Navy Lieutenant (SEAL) Brendan Looney, was subsequently killed in action. Immediately after the death of
this courageous warrior, I realized the story of service and sacrifice stretched beyond Travis and his efforts in Iraq to a bigger story about all who serve.

  While mourning Travis and Brendan, it became clear that the story of these two American heroes was representative of an entire young generation of men and women who answered the call to serve after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Whether in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other volatile areas around the globe, our military and their families have taken on an immense burden for our country. At war for longer than any prior conflict, many with two, three, or four tours in a combat zone, the patriots of this all-volunteer force have continued to step forward without hesitation. Their selfless service is a shining example to all Americans of the price of freedom.

  Throughout our history, generations have continued to answer the call to defend our nation, and none more proudly than today’s volunteers. This book is for them.

  There are countless people to thank for helping this project come together, particularly Travis’s fellow Marines and Brendan’s fellow Navy SEALs, who spent many hours helping us understand the heroism of their brothers in arms. Thanks for your service to our nation, and for helping us tell a story that we hope will enable more Americans to understand your generation’s courage and sacrifice.

  To our literary agent, E. J. McCarthy: thank you for your belief in this project. You helped make this book a reality, and we are enormously grateful for your efforts.

  To our editor, Robert Pigeon: thank you for your guidance and wonderful ideas. You are the best in the business.

  To our publisher, Da Capo Press and the entire Perseus Books Group: thanks to your team for your enthusiastic support. You have truly gone above and beyond.

  To Tom Sileo: your relentless efforts helped put this story together in a way that those outside of the military community can appreciate.

  To Ryan, Dave, Maggie, and Honor: thanks for all the support and for being there for me. I love you guys!