Tom Sileo (19 page)

Brendan Looney and Amy Hastings met on Memorial Day weekend 2003 and quickly fell in love. While dating, the couple would endure Brendan's two overseas deployments as a US Navy intelligence officer.

Brendan, Amy, Travis, and Enza Cestone—future wife of Andrew Hemminger, a Naval Academy classmate of Brendan and Travis—enjoy a fun evening on the town in Annapolis.

Travis's father, Colonel Tom Manion, and mother, Janet Manion, pin the bars signifying their son's commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

US Marine Second Lieutenant Travis Manion and US Navy Ensign Brendan Looney stand shoulder to shoulder at their Naval Academy graduation on May 28, 2004, in Annapolis. At the ceremony, US Air Force General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the 990 graduates that they would play a key role in fighting the nation's post-9/11 conflicts.

Amy, Brendan, and Travis enjoy a friend's wedding shortly after graduating college.

Tom, Ryan, Travis, and Janet Manion join family and friends to celebrate Travis's graduation from the Naval Academy.

Travis opens his arms to the world during his 2005–06 deployment to Iraq.

As the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion's maintenance management officer at Camp Fallujah, Travis went on numerous patrols in and around the city to uncover weapons caches and provide operational security.

Travis and his fellow Marines played a key role in overseeing security for Iraq's October 15, 2005, constitutional referendum and December 15, 2005, national election.

Travis holds his niece and godchild, Maggie Rose Borek, shortly before his second deployment to Iraq.

Travis was a Philadelphia Eagles fan, while Brendan rooted for his hometown Washington Redskins. But when they attended NFL games together, one friend would often wear the other's jersey as an inside joke.

Travis receives a kiss from his mom at a Pennsylvania restaurant on the night before heading to the West Coast to leave for his second deployment to Iraq. The December 2006 dinner with Janet, Tom, Ryan, and Dave, along with friends Ben and Sarah Mathews, would mark the last time Travis saw his family.