The classic annual college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen drew a large crowd of fans on Saturday, showing their support for both teams and for U.S. veterans.
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Travis Manion was killed on April 29, 2007, during his second deployment to Iraq after his patrol was ambushed in Fallujah. Manion led a counterattack that drew enemy fire away from his wounded teammates, allowing the rest of the patrol to survive. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with Valor.
His legacy lives on through the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF), which counts more than 300,000 “Spartans” nationwide who honor fallen heroes by leading with character and living out the foundation’s guiding principle: “If Not Me, Then Who.”
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“Before [Travis] went back for his second, what would be his final, deployment, he was asked why he had to go back to Iraq, and Travis’s answer was, ‘if not me, then who.’ Those are the five words that I tell my children. Those are the five words that I try to say every morning when I wake up to be the best person. That’s about living a life of character, that’s about putting other people’s interests in front of their own, and serving others during the mission commit to living ‘if not me, then who’,” Joshua Jabin, Chief Operating Officer of TMF told the Washington Examiner.
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As part of this year’s Army-Navy game festivities, TMF hosted its annual tailgate fundraiser, drawing Army and Navy fans united by a shared mission: supporting and empowering veterans.
“We throw the biggest party around the Army-Navy game, the Travis Manion Foundation tailgate. We have 5000 people, about half room for Army, about half room for Navy, today we’re all going to come together and support our veterans and our families,” Jabin added.
Jabin said the foundation’s mission goes beyond traditional support services, reframing how veterans are viewed in their communities:
“Our job at Travis Manion Foundation is to invest in those veterans and families of [the] fallen and then give them opportunities to go out and serve. So we train them to mentor young adults about character leadership. We have 60 chapters around the country that serve together. A lot of people think about veterans, and they think about some of the problems veterans have. Well, we think that veterans are civic assets, and we think that veterans have a lot more to offer and a lot more to do for the community, and that’s our job to put them out there and make sure that they continue to serve,” Jabin added.
For Amy Looney Heffernan, the President of TMF, the mission of the foundation is deeply personal.
“My late husband [who] served as a Navy SEAL, Brendan Looney, he was Travis Manion’s Naval Academy roommate and one of his best friends. For me, this is more than just about work and a job…I get to keep Brendan’s memory alive,” Looney Heffernan told the Washington Examiner.
Veterans and fans attending the event also said the Army-Navy game and the foundation’s work carries a deep personal meaning for them.
“I read the book that Ryan [Manion] wrote, The Knock at the Door, and I was really moved by it. I’ve been a supporter of the Travis Manion Foundation for years, and we’re here at the game because our daughter is a West Point cadet…Go Army, beat Navy!” an attendee Paige Bondar said to the Washington Examiner.
“I was on the USS Constellation. I’ve been coming to the Army-Navy game every year for as long as I can remember. My first one was 1981 to see a friend of mine … But what I look forward to most about every Army-Navy game is the end of the game when everybody comes together and sings the alma mater on the other side cause that shows you the greatness and the unity in America…Go Navy!” another attendee, Danny Aston told the Washington Examiner.
As the rivalry played out on the field, the message off the field was one of unity and service. For supporters of TMF, the Army-Navy game served as a reminder that honoring those who served extends far beyond game day.
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“Its about connecting everybody, to bring them together, to unite, to bring something together, and bring community all at once,” Looney Heffernan said to the Washington Examiner.
“I think that’s important, because people want to feel that connectivity. And I think it’s really inspiring to see that there’s civilians here, there’s military connected, but we’re all here to cheer on the same American team…every player that walks in the field, regardless of whether Army or Navy, is willing to give their life for every single person here. I think more of our nation needs to see the impact that our military can make in our communities,” she added.
, 2025-12-13 20:55:00, , Washington Examiner, %%https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon.png?w=32, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Adisa Hargett-Robinson
