Remembering Marine Veteran Dan Manrique

Former Marine Sergeant Dan Manrique left the Marine Corps in 2007 after a deployment to the Middle East and returned home to Thousand Oaks, in the northwest part of greater Los Angeles, ready to start a new chapter in his life. Like many Marines, Dan loved physical fitness, serving his country, and beer. He struggled to find a community that could offer the same camaraderie and esprit de corps that he felt on a daily basis while in the Corps. That was, until Dan joined a local chapter of Team Red, White & Blue, who affectionately refer to themselves as "Eagles."

Genevieve Urquidi (Center) Dan Manrique (Right) with fellow Eagles at a Team RWB event.

Dan found his passion within Team RWB's mission, "to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity." Team RWB brings civilians and veterans together by organizing both volunteer and social events within local communities.

Dan, a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, quickly bonded with his fellow Eagles while watching his favorite team. One of Dan's close friends and fellow Team RWB Eagle Genevieve Urquidi recalled to We Are The Mighty about first meeting Dan in 2013,

"My first impression of him was that he was super nice but quiet. Over the next few years, the dynamic of our relationship changed from being teammates to being friends."

Dan Manrique (Bottom Left) enjoys a beer with his fellow Eagles.

As a member of Team RWB, Dan thrived in a group that allowed him to both serve his community with volunteer work and also build lasting friendships. Dan soon took his desire to serve one step farther by helping other veterans find the same renewed sense of purpose that he discovered as an Eagle. Dan worked passionately with homeless and other veterans in need within the Los Angeles area. Members of Team RWB often volunteer on weekends and after a long day of community service Dan loved to come together with his friends for his other passion, craft beer.

Soon Dan's fellow Eagles encouraged and inspired him to follow his own dream of starting a business that would echo the things Dan loved in life, service and beer. In 2015, Dan launched a craft beer company with his close friend, Tim O'Brien, creatively named the O'Brique Brewing Company, with the goal of "making great beer that follows and builds upon the lessons of the military…service, camaraderie, and causes greater than ourselves."

Fellow Eagles carry their favorite pictures of Dan Manrique during the honor run.

(Photo courtesy of on_the_move_photography)

While he continued to build his business, Dan, the epitome of a Marine NCO, soon worked his way up from volunteer to full-time staff member with Team RWB. As a Pacific Region Program Manager, Dan dedicated himself to building up the Team RWB community in Southern California by planning group activities, such as, volunteer work, attending Dodger games, outdoor events, and, of course, beer tastings.

Laura Werber, a member of the Team RWB board of directors and Los Angeles Eagle told We Are the Mighty about her friend Dan,

"One of my favorite memories of Dan is his leading a "squat challenge" on the summit of Mt Baldy. On those hikes, we chatted about our mutual love of craft beer and his aspirations to run his own brewery. I took pride in Dan's progress on his business, as I sampled the fruits of his labor, admired the website he had produced, and listened to his plans to launch his business."

Sadly, last week, Dan and 11 others, including a Sheriff's officer, were killed in the Thousand Oaks shooting at the Borderline bar. In the wake of this tragedy, members of the Los Angeles veterans community and Team RWB came together to honor their fallen friend.

Friends and fellow Eagles gather in honor of Dan Manrique

(Photo courtesy of on_the_move_photography)

On Saturday night, also the 243rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps, members of Team RWB gathered together and raised their glasses to Dan Manrique. Friends and fellow veterans shared stories about the positive impact Dan had on their lives. Then, in the early morning of this Veterans Day, over 100 members of the community organizedan Honor Run along the Santa Monica beaches in Dan's memory.

Messages left in memory of Dan Manrique

(Photo courtesy of on_the_move_photography)

Fellow Marine veteran and close friend Rudy Andrade, who participated in both events, told We Are The Mighty, about the feeling of community Dan inspired in others,

"I felt the loss but I also felt the support of everyone who came to honor Dan. He is gone but the love he shared with us continues."

As Dan's fellow Eagles said their goodbyes, many of his friends and fellow veterans reflected on how he would have enjoyed their final salute. Tim O'Brien, Dan's business partner, has renewed his commitment to keep the brewery running,

"It will be part of Dan's legacy. He wanted a beer that serves. A brewery that contributes to causes and the community veteran-owned, so we're going to keep it going."

Dan's funeral service will be held later this week with many of his fellow Eagles coming from across the country to pay respects to their fallen friend. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Team RWB in Dan's memory.