Civilian Military Combine to honor hometown hero

Tomorrow at XFINITY Live!, Civilian Military Combine (CMC) will host an event to honor a local war hero who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Travis Manion, a 1999 graduate of La Salle College High School and Doylestown native, was killed in action in Iraq on April 29, 2007. 1st Lieutenant Manion's selfless actions allowed every other Marine in his patrol to survive.

Since his untimely passing, the Travis Manion Foundation was created in his honor, and continues its namesake's mission of inspiring selfless service while assisting our nation's veterans and families of fallen heroes.

To honor Travis' memory, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. participants will complete the Travis Manion Memorial WOD (Workout of the Day), a program created specifically in Lt. Manion's honor. Participants will complete seven rounds of 29 back squats followed by a 400-meter run after each set of back squats. The particulars of the workout were created around Travis' date of death—4/29/07; 400 meter run, 29 squats, 7 rounds.

"CMC's mission is to promote patriotism through athleticism," says Keith Gornish, CEO and co-founder of CMC. "The Travis Manion Foundation is a partner of CMC and we support their vision and transformative impact supporting our country's heroes and families."

On Saturday, a contingent of Marines plus a color guard will be on hand to honor Travis at XFINITY Live! Gornish estimates that about 200 athletes will be on hand to participate and take part in the workout.

"It'll be a very patriotic scene, very inspirational," says Gornish. "But XFINITY has been very kind to let us use the facility, so there will be some other vendors on hand to make it a good time."

The cost of participation is just $29—and every dollar goes to the Travis Manion Foundation. Even those who aren't working out are encouraged to come down and lend their support.

Saturday's event will be particularly special as Colonel Tom Manion, Travis' father, will be on hand to introduce his book Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond Between a Marine and a Navy SEAL that Transcended their Ultimate Sacrifice. The book honors both Travis and LT (SEAL) Brendan Looney, who were roommates in their first year at the United States Naval Academy and became inseparable friends.

Brendan Looney passed away September 21, 2010 in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

"Travis and Brendan are emblematic of this generation of warriors—from fighting, to being loving family men. Their bond is representative of their generation, and I think that really comes through in the book," says James Brobyn, Chief Advancement Officer for the Travis Manion Foundation.

Col. Manion's book will be widely available starting May 13, but advance copies will be available for purchase on Saturday.

"There's plenty of news about the conflict and the daily happenings in the war zone," says Col. Tom Manion. "But there's not enough opportunity to learn about these people who serve, who they really are and what makes them want to serve. I want to tell that part of the story in this book."

"Travis and Brendan met at Annapolis, and they were at Annapolis during 9/11," continues Col. Manion. "As time goes on, we lost Travis in 2007 and Brendan in September 2010. Then the following April, our forces captured and killed Osama bin Laden. So it's not just Travis or Brendan—their story is America's story."

Janet Manion, Travis' mother and Tom's wife, was founder of the Travis Manion Foundation and served as chairman until her passing in 2012. "She had one wish—that my daughter, Ryan Manion Borek, and I keep this going," says Col. Manion. "She'd be happy to see how this continues to grow and how we've been able to help more and more people."

To learn more and to contribute to the Travis Manion Foundation, visit

» READ MORE: http://www.travismanion.org/

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