US Navy's new amphibious warship honors post-9/11 Marine killed in Iraq, carrying on his legacy

• The US Navy will name a new amphibious warship after Travis Manion, a Marine killed in combat in Iraq.
• The USS Travis Manion will be a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship.
• Manion's family said the ship will carry on his legacy.

The US Navy announced plans to name a new amphibious warship after 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion, a post-9/11 Marine killed in combat in Iraq.

The USS Travis Manion, an amphibious transport dock, will honor the Silver Star recipient, his family said, helping carry and support the next generation of Marines.

On January 10, then-Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced plans to name a future San Antonio-class amphibious warship, designated LPD 33, after Manion. The event was held at the US Naval Academy, of which Manion was a graduate, and also hosted by the Travis Manion Foundation, which connects thousands of veterans and young people around the country.

"The San Antonio-class amphibious ship represents the combined power of the Navy and Marine Corps team and relies on the seamless integration of Sailors and Marines working together," Del Toro said, adding that the new warship USS Travis Manion will "serve as a symbol of courage, bravery, and selfless service for all who follow in her wake."

Manion's family said the ship's naming is special both for Travis' legacy as well as the men and women who volunteered to serve in the US military after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The ship is only the fifth ship to be named after a post-9/11 service member.

"For our family, it's an incredible honor to know that Travis is going to be remembered in this way," Ryan Manion, Travis' sister, told Business Insider, adding that "it's also such a testament to this post-9/11 generation." 

Travis came from a close Marine family. His father, Thomas Manion, retired as a colonel. His niece, Maggie, is currently a first-year midshipman at the Naval Academy. Travis' father said that it has always understood that "if anyone wants to serve, it's got to really be at their core."

Travis graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2004 and was assigned to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. He deployed to Iraq in 2005 andwas assigned to a team training the Iraqi Army. He returned for a second deployment in December 2006.

In April 2007, Travis and his fellow Marines were ambushed on patrol. He repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to rescue injured comrades and was fatally shot by an enemy sniper while trying to find a better fighting position. 

Ryan said her brother's deliberate actions that day ultimately saved the lives of every member of his patrol. "Of course he did that because that's who he was," she said. "He was so incredibly selfless." 

As an amphibious warship, the new USS Travis Manion will carry future Marines and other service members, their equipment, helicopters and other aircraft, and the assault vehicles for various operations and missions. 

"Travis would be so proud to know that the USS Travis Manion will one day carry Marines, men and women like those he walked beside in the halls of the Naval Academy and those he served beside on the battlefield," Ryan said. "He'd also be adamant that this honor is not only about him, but about remembering the legacies of all of those who wore the uniform."

Travis' life and legacy is also carried on by the work of the Travis Manion Foundation, started by his late mother, Janet.

It has become much larger than anticipated and is an important center for the community. The foundation is now one of the largest veteran organizations in the country, with tens of thousands of veterans and young people involved.

Ryan and her dad, Thomas, explained that the foundation's work includes supporting veterans, experiential leadership programs, character education training, and mentorships led by veterans and active-duty service members.

That has a direct impact on young people. "It's about saying to our veterans, 'You may no longer be wearing the uniform, but we still need you to serve,'" Ryan said. 

At the foundation's core, too, are the last words Travis spoke to his family before his final deployment: "If not me, then who?" The simple statement left a mark on both the Manions and the larger community, "indicative of the entire military community," Ryan said, as well as the post-9/11 generation who volunteered to serve.