Travis Manion Foundation embodies the “If Not Me, Then Who...” ethos of its namesake

As part of our occasional series profiling Veterans service organizations, RallyPoint recently spoke with Dewayne Blackmon, Director of Regional Operations for the Travis Manion Foundation, whose mission is inspired by its namesake: 1stLt Travis Manion.

Manion died in 2007 while on patrol with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Anbar Province of Iraq. When his battalion came under attack, 27-year-old Manion was fatally wounded leading the counterattack. Before being shot by a sniper during the battle, Manion aided and drew fire away from wounded members of his unit, saving all of their lives. For these actions, Manion was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor. For the values of service and sacrifice he represents — embodied in Travis’s words upon his final deployment, “If Not Me, Then Who...” — the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) was formed 15 years ago. Its mission is to empower Veterans and families of the fallen to develop character in the nation’s youth.

Blackmon, a highly decorated Veteran and Purple Heart recipient, joined TMF in 2021. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1990-1996 and in the U.S. Army from 1996-2018. During his military career, he deployed to Germany, Sinai and Scotland; to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom; and to the U.S.-Mexico border for peacekeeping operations. Blackmon performed various roles in the military, primarily with the infantry branch, while earning four degrees, including two master’s degrees. He retired as a Command Sgt. Major after 28 years of service. Before coming to TMF, he worked for nearly three years at the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), which, along with organizations such as Blue Star Families, is a frequent collaborator with TMF. We talked with Blackmon in August about the foundation’s work, and how Veterans and survivors can get involved.

Thanks for talking today, Dewayne. On the RallyPoint community’s behalf, please send Travis’s family and friends our condolences for their loss. We appreciate your time in updating us on the foundation’s mission and key initiatives.

RallyPoint (RP): For RallyPoint members who may be less familiar with the Travis Manion Foundation, tell us more about the organization.

Dewayne Blackmon (DB): Everything we do is inspired by Travis’s “If Not Me, Then Who...” ethos. Through training and education, community service projects, and other initiatives and events, we empower Veterans to spread that philosophy within their communities.

One way we assist Veterans in doing that is through our flagship Character Does Matter (CDM) youth mentoring program (https://www.travismanion.org/our-programs/character-does-matter). Veterans approved to become CDM mentors take a two-hour online training course to learn about their character strengths and undergo a background check. They then attend training and receive materials to help them deliver the character and leadership skills curriculum to students. The program is presented through roughly hour-long lectures to larger audiences or through more in-depth character courses taught to smaller student groups. Events may include team-building exercises, group discussions and other challenges.

Students are reached through TMF partner organizations such as schools, after-school programs and youth-serving nonprofits. Presentations are often paired with an area service project, where Veterans and students work together to beautify shared spaces, distribute food to those in need or serve in other ways. Presentations and projects are dedicated to local families of the fallen.

The benefits of this program are twofold: Veteran volunteers get opportunities to reconnect to civilian life through service and young people get the chance to engage with positive role models. (Learn more at https://www.travismanion.org/our-programs/character-does-matter.)

RP: What role do you play as Director of Regional Operations?

DB: I oversee TMF’s national programming, which is delivered through seven regional headquarters. I manage 20 staff members who in turn lead coast-to-coast efforts to recruit Veteran volunteers, connect TMF with community-based partners, and implement CDM and other TMF initiatives.

RP: What are some other national TMF initiatives?

DB: We operate several national initiatives throughout the year:

MLK Day of Service: We started the year with service-day events timed with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which is the third Monday in January. Veterans delivered CDM presentations highlighting King’s character traits and combined those with service activities such as tree plantings or community cleanups.

The Honor Project: This year, in collaboration with WWP, we again held our Honor Project, which is timed with Memorial Day. The project involves Veteran volunteers paying tribute to the fallen on behalf of families that are not near or are unable to visit the service member’s internment location.

After reflecting on the service member’s life, Veterans place at gravesites a Flags of Valor wooden token adorned with Travis’s “If Not Me, Then Who...” message. In 2022, Veteran volunteers held 21 remembrances involving 641 participants. Remembrances were captured in photos shared with families and, in a few cases, covered by local media. (Learn more at https://www.travismanion.org/events/the-honor-project.)

Back to School Character Days: Volunteers are currently implementing our Back to School initiative, which combines CDM presentations and service projects with student backpack giveaways. (Find out more at https://www.travismanion.org/back-to-school-character-days.)

9/11 Heroes Runs: We are also planning upcoming 9/11 Heroes Run events, which are Veteran-volunteer-led run, walk or “ruck” road races in honor of first responders and military heroes. Races are timed with commemorations of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (Take part in or donate to a race or host a 9/11 Heroes Run fundraiser at https://www.travismanion.org/events/911-heroes-run.)

RP: What is the impact of the foundation’s work on Veterans and survivors?

DB: As we document in our most recent annual report, since our inception in 2007, we have served 130,000 Veterans, families of the fallen and inspired civilians — our Spartan community. The report notes that in fiscal 2020-2021, TMF Veteran volunteers reached 56,595 students, which is thousands more than we planned to serve. Additional information about our impact can be found in the annual report. (Review it at https://www.travismanion.org/annual-report-2021.)

RP: How can the RallyPoint community get involved with the foundation?

DB: We make the process easy for Veterans who are interested in becoming CDM mentors. They just have to hit the “Join the Mission” button and follow the process, which starts with registering. (Sign up at https://travismanionfoundation.force.com/lms/s/join-the-mission.)

Veterans and survivors can also volunteer for Operation Legacy Service Projects, which are service projects honoring the fallen conducted by volunteers, family members and TMF-supporting partner organizations. The projects must represent the values of character, leadership and selfless service. Veterans and family members of the fallen can register to lead, or invite volunteers to serve, an Operation Legacy project; volunteer for an existing in-person or virtual project; or donate to finance a project. (Learn more at https://www.travismanion.org/events/operation-legacy.)

RP: How else can Veterans and survivors participate with TMF?

DB: Other ways to get involved with us include donating to the foundation (https://donate.travismanion.org/give/168622/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=Header), finding and participating in an event near you (https://www.travismanion.org/events/search-local-events) and purchasing foundation merchandise (https://shop.travismanion.org/?a=topnav).

RP: What more should the RallyPoint community know about the Travis Manion Foundation?

DB: We live by Travis’s “If Not Me, Then Who...” ethos, and we convey that to students and community members through our Veteran volunteers and programs honoring the fallen. If you’re a Veteran with a passion for service, join us in ensuring that Travis’s legacy lives on.

Learn more

• Read the TMF Annual Report: https://www.travismanion.org/annual-report-2021

• View the video: The Call: Veterans Continuing the Tradition of Service with TMF

• Join the mission: https://travismanionfoundation.force.com/lms/s/join-the-mission