PORTLAND, Texas — After 26 years of service in the United States Navy, Raymond Manahan now spends his days doing what once seemed out of reach: walking his 8-year-old daughter to school, picking her up in the afternoons, and never missing a birthday.
Born in 1973 in Laguna, a province in the Philippines, Manahan moved to Boise, Idaho, at age 12 with his mother and two siblings.
“I actually missed it in the first few years in the U.S.,” Manahan recalled. “I missed going into the jungle in the backyard picking fresh fruits, swimming in the rivers and ponds, playing with my cousins, of course. It was definitely a culture shock.”
In 1995, Manahan joined the Navy, following in the footsteps of his stepfather, who served aboard the USS Enterprise, and later his younger brother. He began his career as a hospital corpsman, eventually rising to the rank of Senior Chief.
“We do a lot of things—basically all the functions of the hospital,” he said. “Whatever jobs you have in the hospital, you have in the Navy.”
Stationed aboard the USS John F. Kennedy in Florida, his early days were intense.
“You’re basically on the job 24/7,” he said. “It was an eye-opening experience, working with a lot of different people.”
Manahan’s journey through deployments was not without personal sacrifice. He often missed major milestones in his children’s lives.
“Missing their first steps, their first day of school. And I did that three times,” he said. “That was hard.”
Now retired in Portland, he is determined to make up for lost time.
“That’s why I’m trying to pay it back to my 8-year-old,” he said. “Taking her to school, picking her up, not missing any of her birthdays.”
Manahan is the father of four: a 23-year-old daughter soon graduating from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, a 20-year-old son also attending TAMU-CC, a 17-year-old son in high school, and his youngest in second grade.
“She’s a handful,” he said with a smile. “But I love her.”
As an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) veteran, Manahan said honoring heritage is deeply important.
During his service, his unit celebrated AAPI contributions with ceremonies and cake-cuttings. “We highlight all Asian Pacific Islanders from our community,” he said, noting the large number of Filipino nurses and servicemembers in both the military and civilian workforce.
“There’s a lot of Filipinos in the Navy,” he added. “They called us the Filipino Mafia.”
His final deployment took him to Hawaii. He keeps a photo of his children watching his ship depart—an enduring symbol of both duty and devotion.
“In the military, we don’t see colors,” Manahan said. “We’re brothers and sisters.”
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Hofmann at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com
