MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A fallen Airman’s memory will forever live on as the American Red Cross will rename a center in his honor.
As a special tribute, the Kuwait Rest and Recovery center will be named after 2nd Lt Travis Jordan who was an active volunteer at the Red Cross during his youth and adulthood.
“Travis was a special man who answered a call to serve, and was a member of our Red Cross Family in many ways throughout his youth and into his early adulthood,” said Koby Langley, Senior Vice President of the American Red Cross.
The center is frequented by more than 40,000 service members a year, and is intended to provide a “home-away-from-home” for visitors. After more than 15 years of use, the center has had few renovations, but this year that is expected to change. The refurbished center is expected to be renamed following restoration next spring.
“Since Travis was the ‘man of the house’ during my Marine Corps combat deployments, taking care of his mom and little brother, he developed a real heart towards troops transitioning, recovering and returning home from deployment,” said Michael Jordan, Travis’ father. “When I returned from Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005, I transitioned through the Red Cross Kuwait Rest and Recovery Center – the dedication of this center in honor of Travis’ memory is beyond words.”
According to his father, Travis wanted to join the military ever since he was a young boy; he saw service to his country as a rite of passage, as military service within his family can be dated back to the American Revolution.
“The renaming of the center cannot bring Travis back, but there is comfort in knowing that the Travis Jordan Rest and Recovery Center will continue to provide support for deployed service members who are away from their families,” said his father.
Travis is survived by his parents, Michael and Lynn, and his younger brother, Connor.