Sacred Duty, Tom Cotton
Sacred Duty, Tom Cotton
8 Rating(s)
List: $23.99 | Sale: $16.79
Club: $11.99

Sacred Duty
A Soldier's Tour at Arlington National Cemetery

Bestseller

Author: Tom Cotton

Narrator: Tom Cotton, Jeremy Arthur

Unabridged: 8 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 05/14/2019


Synopsis

THEIR DUTY IS SACRED. THEIR STANDARD IS PERFECTION. An extraordinary journey behind the scenes of Arlington National Cemetery, Senator Tom Cotton’s Sacred Duty offers an intimate and inspiring portrait of “The Old Guard,” the revered U.S. Army unit whose mission is to honor our country’s fallen heroes on the most hallowed ground in America. Cotton was a platoon leader with the storied 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment—The Old Guard—between combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the height of the Iraq Surge, he carried the flag-draped remains of his fallen comrades off of airplanes at Dover Air Force Base, and he laid them to rest in Arlington’s famed Section 60, “the saddest acre in America.”  He also performed hundreds of funerals for veterans of the Greatest Generation, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars.The Old Guard has embodied the ideals of honor and sacrifice across our nation’s history. America’s oldest active-duty regiment, dating back to 1784, The Old Guard conducts daily military-honor funerals on the 624 rolling acres of Arlington, where generations of American heroes rest. Its soldiers hold themselves to the standard of perfection in sweltering heat, frigid cold, and driving rain. Every funeral is a no-fail, zero-defect mission, whether honoring a legendary general or a humble private.In researching and writing the book, Cotton returned to Arlington and shadowed the regiment’s soldiers, from daily funerals to the state funeral of President George H. W. Bush to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, reliving the honor—and the challenges—of duty at the nation’s “most sacred shrine.”Part history of The Old Guard, part memoir of Cotton’s time at Arlington, part intimate profile of the today’s soldiers, Sacred Duty is an unforgettable testament to the timeless power of service and sacrifice to our nation.

About Tom Cotton

Tom Cotton is a United States senator from Arkansas and is the bestselling author of Sacred Duty and Only the Strong. He served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division and in Afghanistan with a Provincial Reconstruction Team. Between combat tours, he served with the United States Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment (“the Old Guard”) at Arlington National Cemetery. His military decorations include the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He served one term in the House of Representatives before his election to the Senate. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he is married to Anna, and they have two sons, Gabriel and Daniel. 


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Dan on 2025-01-19 19:54:03

Bad book riddled with political stunts and clearly profiting for peoples continual division to the other side of the aisle. Very nice good job

Goodreads review by Clay on February 13, 2020

This book is perfectly titled.......more

Goodreads review by George on June 24, 2019

I have tremendous respect for the Old Guard and what they do and for Tom Cotton and his service, but the editor of this book should consider another career. The repetition of the “ buff strap” story and the “ fixed bayonet” story and how the uniforms are maintained made this book tedious in some sect......more

Goodreads review by William on June 27, 2019

This is an exceptional book: very thorough and highly detailed on all aspects of the Old Guard’s organization, operations, and environment. It highlights the sincere dedication and deep pride felt by each of its soldiers and their families. This is genuine and life altering, as the author who served......more

Goodreads review by Jim on June 28, 2019

Senator Cotton is a former member of "The Old Guard", which among its other duties provides the guard and watch at Arlington. This book attempts to explain and capture all of the duties of every single unit of TOG. While the book is very interesting, it's simultaneous fairly dull. Way too much detai......more

Goodreads review by Vulco1 on November 22, 2021

Not bad but not good either. Very repetitive and I'm not sure I agree with how it was put together. This would make a great 50-100 book/essay. But not a good 320 page book. But I'm glad to have read it if for no other reason than to know more about our servicemen and this way of brining them honor and......more