(Ret.) United States Army Master Sergeant Aaron Hudgins said the loss of his late wife J.J. Hudgins forced him to take a closer look at what his future mission in life would look like.
He found that mission through the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) where he serves as Director of the Central Oklahoma Chapter of TMF.
TMF unites communities to strengthen our nation by empowering veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. In 2007, 1st Lt Travis Manion, USMC, was killed in Iraq while saving his wounded teammates. Today, Travis’ legacy lives on in the words he spoke before leaving for his final deployment, “If Not Me, Then Who…”.
Guided by this ethos, veterans continue their service, build connections with each other, and thrive in their post-military lives by serving as character role models to youth. As a result, communities prosper and the character of our nation’s heroes lives on in the next generation.
Manion gave the ultimate sacrifice on April 29, 2007, on his second deployment to Iraq. While on patrol searching for a suspected insurgent house in Fallujah, Travis, his fellow Marines, and Iraqi Army counterparts were ambushed.
Manion led a counterattack against enemy forces, drawing fire away from his wounded comrades and allowing every member of his patrol to survive. For his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor. Today, over 300,000 Spartans nationwide carry forward the legacy of fallen heroes like Travis by leading with character and living out the “If Not Me, Then Who…” ethos.
TMF Chapters are local volunteer groups led by veterans, families of fallen heroes, and inspired civilians who have a passion for the Travis Manion Foundation mission. Currently, TMF Chapters exist in nearly 40 locations throughout the country – identifying and executing local service projects and hosting events that connect and unite their communities. Chapters allow Spartans to expand the reach of TMF and engage with local volunteers to make a meaningful contribution to their surroundings while upholding the “If Not Me, Then Who…” ethos.
Their best-in-class programs are designed to develop, heal and bring together veterans, families of the fallen, youth and inspired civilians from all walks of life. From their Character Does Matter youth mentoring program to community service projects and service-based trips, TMF programs give Americans an opportunity to honor the legacy of fallen heroes through service.
JJ Hudgins was injured while training for her mission at Fort Bliss. She was medically discharged from the Army after a broken hip was deemed an “unrecoverable injury.”
She was home for just 10 days before passing away on April 28, 2018.
“The truth is that my involvement in this mission wasn’t shaped by one moment or one project. It was shaped by 26 years of service in the United States Army and, more importantly, by the personal tragedy of losing my wife, Jari J. Hudgins,” Aaron Hudgins said. “That loss changed my life and forced me to confront grief, purpose, and responsibility in a way I never had before.”
He continued, “The man I am today and the work I do through the Travis Manion Foundation, is the result of both those experiences. My military career taught me about duty, leadership, and sacrifice. Losing Jari taught me the weight of that sacrifice and the importance of honoring it by continuing to serve others.”
Hudgins said TMF’s service projects caught the attention of Ava Garrett, an 8-year-old from Guthrie who was inspired to make a financial donation to the Oklahoma Chapter of the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF).
“I got an email from a little girl, Ava Garrett,” Hudgins said. “I didn’t know her. Never met her. She has a business in Guthrie where she tags people’s front yards with logos. They (parents) drive around her neighborhood and takes donations, and then she’ll spray paint 1776 or USA or OU or whatever. She raised $600 in about a month. Well, she wanted to donate a percentage of her money to an organization. Somehow, she found out about us.”
Hudgins added, “With the help of her mom, I got a random text out of nowhere. She goes, ‘My daughter wants to donate some of her money to your organization,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, okay. Yeah, sure.’ When she told me how much it was, it was $200. I was like, ‘That’s a lot of money for a kid to give.’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, but she really wants to do this.’ I was like, ‘Well then, I will personally come down there,’ so I drove to her house.”
Hudgins said Ava presented him $200, which funded overnight bags for DHS foster kids through a TMF Edmond Santa Fe High School service project.
“The biggest thing that we do is legacy projects, which are service projects for the community that are built around honoring our fallen heroes,” he said. “While I’ve been doing it, every legacy project we do for the community,nd it could be anything. We put bags together for foster care kids. Because when they leave in the middle of the night, they don’t have anything with them. We put bags together that have a blanket, snacks, a stuffy, a nightlight, something that they could take with them that is theirs.”
Hudgins continued, “She (Ava) handed me over $200, and so that funded the entire overnight bags for the DHS foster kids. She funded that entire project, all herself. So, all the money that it took to put those bags together came from an eight-year-old little girl, and I was beyond touched. We brought her back so that she could see where that money went because I was like, ‘I want you to see this.’ So, when I brought her in, I didn’t tell her, and the entire girl’s pom squad was waiting for her. I made it a point to try to recognize her every chance I get because that’s such a profound gesture of service and gratitude to give back to an organization.”
He added, “We were so proud of the Teams of Character Pom Squad and the inspiring Ava Garrett, whose heart for service continues to make a real impact in our community. These young leaders represent exactly what it means to live out character in action.”
Hudgins said the Oklahoma TMF Spartans were recently recognized at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
“Yesterday was a powerful day at the Oklahoma State Capitol as the Travis Manion Foundation, Oklahoma Chapter had the honor of being with some amazing young leaders,” he said. “This was from our event last November where we honored fallen Oklahoma Hero SPC Sarina Butcher, the first female soldier from Oklahoma killed in action on 11 November 2011. I was also recognized as Veteran of the week.”
Hudgins said during their visit, their team had the opportunity to meet with multiple state representatives and spend time with Gov. Kevin Stitt sharing the mission of TMF and highlighting how Oklahoma youth are stepping up to lead through service.
“What stood out most wasn’t just the recognition, it was seeing the next generation confidently representing values that matter: character, service, and community,” he said. “Stories like Ava’s are important because they show the mission in action. But the deeper story is how service, loss, and resilience can shape a person’s life and drive them to help others find purpose and character in their own.”
For more information about the Travis Manion Foundation visit www.travismanion.org. • by Van Mitchell, staff writer
