Honoring a man of service

Decked in a black suit, with a military cap perched on his head, retired Army Capt. Dominador H. Manio Jr. stood only about 5 feet 2 inches tall.

Yet, as he greeted a steady stream of guests at the Chattahoochee River Club on Tuesday, he appeared a community giant.

The luncheon, held in honor of the 71-year-old man, affectionately called “Dom” by family and friends, drew educators who once worked under his supervision and members of a Columbus Filipino Association that he founded, as well as local dignitaries.

Former Mayor Bob Poydasheff was among those who spoke glowingly of Dom and his wife of 47 years, Hildagine, who beamed by her husband’s side.

“This couple not only served their country honorably with great, great, great rewards,” he said, “but in addition to that, I can tell you that they have served their community.”

Being fairly new to Columbus, I had never heard of the Manios or much about the local Filipino community. So I was surprised when I walked into the room and found such rich diversity.

Speaking to some of Dom’s friends, I learned that many local Filipino residents have been here for decades. Many settled in the area after serving in the military. The community consists of doctors and other professionals enriching the Chattahoochee Valley with their skills and talents.

Many who attended Tuesday’s luncheon said it was Dom who brought the community together.

In 1989, he launched the Filipino American Association with 25 families. It now has 150 families who are active in the Tri-City area. Dom also founded the Asian Pacific Alliance, which sponsored scholarships for Columbus State University students and played a significant role in promoting cultural diversity.

Dom, now retired, also had a pretty interesting career, both in the military and as a civilian, according to his bio. He was born in Bamban, Tarlac, in the Philippines, where his father was a career solider assigned to Japan. The family later moved to Presidio, Calif., where Dom enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17. He served in Vietnam as part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

In 1968, Dom was chosen to attend the Officer’s Candidate School at Fort Benning and became a Tac Officer for the 53rd OCS Company. In the early 1970s, he joined the Company Tactics Committee, teaching infantry officers how to survive.

After leaving the military, Dom continued his education and became an educator. He served as vice principal at Russell County Junior High School and assistant principal at Marshall Middle School, Spencer High School and Daniel Alternative Middle School, as well as principal of St. Patrick Catholic School in Phenix City. He led the committee that planned and implemented the first major Teacher of the Year Gala in Muscogee County, according to his bio, and has always been a champion for diversity.

It takes people of all stripes to make Columbus a great place to live, and Dom has obviously made his contributions.

Yet, he was almost speechless Tuesday as others showered him with love and adoration.

“I’m blessed with all my friends. What else can I say?” he asked. “And I thank my wife.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Honoring a man of service."