Slain soldier’s mom a finalist for national honor

Doylestown resident Janet Manion is one of 20 finalists in the Citizens Service Before Self Honors, an elite group of Americans all across the country chosen for bravery, courage and a commitment to service. Manion's heroism did not come on the battlefield--it happens here at home.

Manion's only son, Travis, a 1st Lt. in the Marines, was killed by enemy sniper fire in Iraq in 2007. Afterward, Manion established a foundation bearing her son's name dedicated to helping veterans and families of "Fallen Heroes."

Manion helped create three distinct programs within the foundation. The "Honor the Fallen," "Character Does Matter" work to promote the legacy of fallen heroes, and the "9/11 Heroes Run" provides an opportunity for communities to remember those lost on 9/11.

The Citizens Service Before Self Honors is an award given out by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation in conjunction with National Medal of Honor Day. The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award, and fewer than 90 recipients are alive today. Some Medal of Honor recipients were on the committee that selected the Citizen finalists. The committee based their selection off of "an instance of bravery or through a lifetime of placing others before themselves."

Final selection for the award will occur March 12, and the awards ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetary near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier March 23.