Tom Sileo (42 page)

“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

F
or 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 freedom 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:

1
ST
L
T.
T
RAVIS L.
M
ANION
, USMC 04.29.07 I
RAQ

LT (SEAL) B
RENDAN
J. L
OONEY
, USN 09.21.10 A
FG

WARRIORS FOR FREEDOM, BROTHERS FOREVER

Acknowledgments